


An Affair in London (sequel to The Loveliest Lady)

by LocalSarcasm



Series: Tom and Alexandra [2]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF
Genre: Anal Play, Angst, Bathing/Washing, Blow Jobs, Chocolate, Cunnilingus, Drama, F/M, Family, Feels, Female Ejaculation, Fluff, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Romance, Secrets, Smut, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-05-05
Packaged: 2018-01-15 18:16:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1314460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LocalSarcasm/pseuds/LocalSarcasm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When last we met them, Tom and Alexandra were reunited in London, but will their romance last through the turmoils of fame and self doubt?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The lovers stood tangled in each other’s arms as the cold rain soaked up their clothing. Tom ran his hands up and down Alexandra’s back and neck, making sure that she wasn’t a hallucination created by his lonesome heart and mind.  

Tom glid his lips against hers with pressure, their tongues smoothly sliding against one another as they open and closed their mouths. Their noses bumped and pressed into each other’s cheeks the harder they kissed. Alexandra pulled at his neck and shoulders as close as possible, feeling his heartbeat underneath her fingertips. Their breaths mingled as they let out ragged gasps and moans.

Eventually Alexandra pulled back, but just a bit. She leaned her puffed up lips gently against his, barely even touching, the two breathed heavily and stared at each other. Alexandra saw complete happiness and endearment in his glassy eyes.

“Hi.” she said softly as she massaged his soaked scalp with her fingertips. He laughed softly as he let out a ragged breath. “Hi.” he reciprocated, lifting his hands to the back of her head, gliding his hands through her long hair. He trailed small, soft kisses up and down her face, tickling her and making her giggle.

”Come on, let’s get you inside.” Tom said as he pulled back from her face and wrapped his arm around her waist. He opened the door and waited like a gentleman for her to walk in first. She smiled warmly as she walked in, rubbing her clothed, drenched arms to create warmth. He followed her in with her suite case in hand. He locked the door and set her luggage against the broom closet.

Alexandra stood in the middle of the hallway, next to the stairs, and stared at all the open space leading to the living room, kitchen and study. The walls were a crisp white color and the floors light wood. The decoration was rather minimal, but in warm colors that mixed well with the cool background colors.

“Wow…” she accidentally commented, hoping that he didn’t hear her. ‘Definitely not in Kansas anymore.’ she thought to herself, the doubt she experienced earlier creeping back into her mind. Everything looked so foreign and classy and expensive, making her standout.

Tom looked at her from a distance as she stood a few feet away from him, looking around the inside of his home. He felt such happiness that she was here. Like everything had fallen into place. He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling the side of her face as he brought her back to reality.

“I’m so happy that you’re here.” he whispered into her ear after kissing her cheek.

“Yeah…” she said with a tired smile, trying to mask the uncertainty in her voice. It wasn’t that she was uncertain about her love for him. She treasured and adored him. He made her feel loved and appreciated, something she hadn’t felt in years. And the short time they spent together in L.A. had created a deep bond that she couldn’t fully understand.

The problem was, she didn’t feel like she was worthy of him. Like, she didn’t have enough to offer him. She feared that there was bound to be someone, who was from the same social class as him or had the talent worthy of him, and would eventually steal him away from her.

In the end, Alexandra was just scared to fall so deeply in love, and then be broken into multiple pieces. It had happened before, so why wouldn’t it happen again?

Tom felt her shiver in his arms, the wet clothing providing no heat or protection. “You’re cold. Let me get you a towel or something.” he said as he dashed in a hurry, leaving before she could respond to him. She laughed at his sweetness and good nature, reminding her why she felt such attraction to him in the first place.

She remembered how they talked throughout the night at the local diner, the night they first met. They kept ordering coffee after coffee and sharing various pies and muffins to keep the hunger away. She was so enamoured with him from the get go. She fell for his positive outlook on life, his dorky sense of humor and the way he made her feel special, even when she told him about her most mundane daily activities. He really seemed interested in her life.

The recent memories they shared brought a warm feeling to her heart, a smile and a light blush creeping onto her face as she remembered that night they danced the tango. Not to mention, every wonderful action they did to each other later that night… and the next morning… and again at night… twice. And now she was standing in his hallway, watching him scurry around like a busy mouse as she waited to be dried off.  

Alexandra looked down at her completely soaked long sleeve shirt. The material was very light, so now it was completely see through. Thank god there weren’t people on the street to see her walking around with her bra showing.

An evil thought popped into her head as she tried to adjust the shirt.

 

* * *

 

When Tom returned with a big fluffy towel, already dressed in a dry shirt, he was met with a truly erotic sight. Alexandra had taken off her drenched shirt, leaving her in a soaked white bra. He knew something was up, since she had a mischievous smile on her lips.

“You have my undivided attention.” he said as he halted in front of her and admired her round bosom, the bulge in his trousers rapidly forming as she pried her wet jeans off of her legs. The rain left a layer of dampness on her skin, reminding him of the time they took a shower together.

“I’m cold and wet.” she pouted, wrapping a string of her wet hair around her finger.  She knew he would turn into goo when she used those killer puppy dog eyes on him.

Tom growled as he walked slowly towards her. His long legs taking slow steps, admiring her shimmering thighs and bare shoulders, her wet bra revealing just enough to let his imagine run wild. The primal animal in him was taking control of his mind and body, locking the gentleman in him away. He wanted to ravage her.

As he stood in front of her, he looked her over from her bosom to toes and back up all the way to her eyes. The lust was evident. He breathed deeply, his chest rising slowly with every breath. He arched his back so he would look taller, taking a power stance as he stood only a few inches away from her.

Alexandra studied his beautiful face as he looked her over, feeling proud of the effect she had on him. Their eyes met, the feeling of coldness had mysteriously disappeared. Actually, Alexandra started feeling very hot indeed.

Tom gathered the hair on the back of her head and jerked her head back, lifting her face to him.

“You are mine.” Tom said and kissed her forcefully. He filled her mouth with his determined tongue as she held on for dear life. It was remarkable how fast the loving relationship they had between them turned into a passionate, lustful one, in a very short time.

Tom hastily knelt down on the hallway floor and pulled Alexandra down with him, their kiss never ending. He pushed her down on her back, trapping her between him and the floor.

Alexandra let out a series of moans and whimpers as Tom rubbed his body against hers. Trailing her hands down to the hem of his t-shirt, Alexandra gently glid her hands against his lower abdomen and small patch of hair underneath the shirt.

Tom had other plans though. He grabbed her hands roughly and pulled them above her head, rendering her immobile.

“Uh uh, darling.” he teased. She arched her pelvis against him in need, not wanting to be teased.

“Tom, please…” she wined, rubbing her legs against his. He let out a quiet but sinister laugh.

“See what happens when you tease about being wet?” he trailed kisses along her neck and clavicle, making sure to drag this out as long as possible. “Undressing and revealing all that beautiful skin, all wet and delectable.” he continued gently with a lustful voice.

“Tooom” she pleaded, making him look up and meet her eyes.

What he saw was unexpected. The lust in her eyes had turned back into love and adoration. She wanted him yes, but it was more than just about fucking. The intimate bond between them had taken over her, wanting to feel loved again. Tom saw this and immediately surrendered. He leaned down and applied a slow, sensual kiss, immediately softening his grip on her arms.

Alexandra caressed his face and ran her fingers through his short, wet hair as they continued their kissing. Their breathing got heavier the more aggressively they kissed.

“Take this off.” she said as she tried to pull his shirt off, the remnants of her damp skin evident on his new shirt.

Tom pulled back, kneeled between her spread legs and pulled his shirt off of his heaving body.

Alexandra admired the way his lean muscles flexed as he moved, taking in his beauty as she laid against the floor.

Tom continued undressing, standing up for a moment to pull his trousers off, until he was once again kneeling on the floor, his cock standing erect in front of him. He wrapped his arms under her knees and pulled her to him like a ragdoll. He trailed his hands to her panties and pulled them off, leaving her only in a wet bra.

He leaned over her again, making sure every inch of her body was covered by his. Slowly he pealed the straps down and trailed soft kisses along her arms and shoulders. Alexandra released the clasp behind her back and sighed as she removed the last piece of clothing.

Finally they were fully skin to skin. He pressed his chest against her soft, perky breasts and nestled comfortably between her spread thighs. His manhood rubbed against her mound, gently tickling her sensitive nub and wet folds.

With a last breathy kiss, Tom looked into her eyes and pushed into her slick tunnel. Feeling the warmth inside her made him sigh. Alexandra immediately arched her back, her eyes rolling back into her head. She felt so full, it was exquisite.

“Look at me.” he said, looking down at her. She opened her lust filled eyes, barely being able to keep them open. “I want you so badly.” he sighed almost as a whine.

“Take me.” was the only thing she said in her haze.

Tom took a hold of her hips and slammed himself fully into her, knocking the breath from her lungs. He pulled back and Alexandra whined at the loss of the fullness.

“Shh…” he comforted her before pushing back.

Gradually Tom’s pace increased, their breaths becoming more and more labored. Alexandra held onto his back, grazing her fingernails as Tom moaned on top of her like an animal in heat. Their loud moans and breaths echoed in the empty house.

“TOM!” she moaned loudly, feeling the pit of her stomach tighten. Her head thrashed from left to right, feeling very overwhelmed.

With a sweaty brow and chest, Tom wrapped his arms under her shoulders, vigorously pistoning his hips against hers as he grunted loudly.

He licked and bit all over her clavicle and neck, making his way to the crook of her neck, where he would remain until his climax. With lips against her ear, she heard his desperate grunts and whines for release. Alexandra listened in worship, her jaw opening as her body readied itself for release.

Tom felt her walls clenching so tightly, he knew she would be coming soon. Her breathing accelerated and the pulse on her neck increased. With a last lick and nip of her ear, her hips bucked, abs jerked and thighs shivered, all in exquisite orgasm. Tom drove into her thrice more, before falling into a similar state. His hot seed filled her canal spurt after huge spurt, rendering him motionless.

After his mind cleared up, he looked at her shaking body. Her eyes fluttered as her chest still shook. Tom laid his body on top of her, distributing his weight evenly, not wanting to crush her. He held onto her, providing her an anchor as she steadied her breathing.

The two lovers laid together in silence for a few moments. Tom laid gentle kisses on her chest as Alexandra ran her fingers through his sweat soaked hair.

“I love you.” he said quietly, lifting his gaze to her eyes.

“And I you.” she said with a tired smile.

He smiled at her lovingly and kissed her on the lips. “Hey, why don’t you put your clothes into the dryer, take a hot shower and change into something warm before you get a fever, hm?” he asked as he laid his head back against her chest. “I’ll go fix you something to eat in the meantime.”

“Yeah, ok.” she confirmed as Tom got off of her and helped her up. Tom took her suitcase in hand and led her into his bedroom with the en suite bathroom. He set the suitcase on the bed for her and fetched her some more towels.

With a peck on the lips, she thanked him and stepped into the huge bathroom. Tom watched intently, taking a few extra seconds to admire her glorious naked butt. ‘All round and full and delectable’ he thought lustfully. Tom soon snapped out of it, when he heard the bathroom door click shut. He walked downstairs, picked up his discarded clothes from the hallway and headed to the kitchen on a mission.

 

* * *

 

That night the two laid in bed all snuggled up, facing each other. The lovers caressed each other in the darkness.

“I’m happy when I’m with you.” Tom said as he ran his fingers across her cheek.

“So am I.” she replied with a tired sigh. Tom smiled at her lovingly, leaning forward to kiss her good night. “Spoon me?” she asked with a pouting lip, wanting to be held and kept safe in the new environment.

“Turn around.” he chuckled, immediately scooting towards her. Alexandra turned around and settled herself comfortably in his arms, feeling safe and warm.

“I love you.” he whispered after a few minutes of silence, not knowing if she was still awake or not. With a sleepy, semiconscious voice, she answered “I love you too.”

Tom’s heart fluttered at her words, confirming what he already knew. He cradled her waist and twined his legs with hers, making them one. He laid his head against the plushy pillow behind her and smelled her hair.

“Peaches and cream…” he mumbled with a smile as he fell asleep next to his love.

What Tom didn’t know, was that his lover was still wide awake. Her actions and choices running around in her mind, wondering did she make the right decision coming here. Her own insecurities she kept hidden, kept playing tricks on her mind. Eventually, she would have to leave, but since Tom didn’t really seem to care about the reasons she was here, she felt best to leave it be for a while.

‘Ignorance is bliss, right?’


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of this story's readers are French, I apologize in advance.

The rainy clouds over London had passed over night, letting the sun shine bright the next morning. Alexandra woke up as the few strands of sunlight came through the cracks of the closed blinds. The light irritating her eyes made it difficult to keep on sleeping. With a deep sigh, she gave up and opened her eyes, taking in the unfamiliar room.

She was brought back from her observation, when she felt an even gush of breath tickling her head. With a quiet chuckle, she looked over her shoulder to see a sleeping Tom breathing deeply behind her. He looked so peaceful and beautiful like this.

‘Yeah… I could get used to this.’ she thought. Waking up next to him every morning would make her very happy indeed.

Something else that would make her very happy right about now, would be some breakfast. Her stomach growled with emptiness, begging her to do something about it.

With cat like finesse, Alexandra maneuvered herself from Tom’s loose grip and headed down to his kitchen. With a plan to surprise him with breakfast, she went through all the cabinets and drawers trying to find all the available ingredients for the surprise.

She wasn’t, however, prepared to be met with completely empty cabinets and drawers. After finding only eggs, some turkey coldcuts and feta, that still seemed to smell fresh, she decided to try and make him some freshly baked tarts.

“Jesus H. Christ, doesn’t the man eat?” she mumbled as she searched for the flour, quickly beginning the surprise.

 

* * *

 

Within a few minutes, the delicious smell of the baked goods wafted upstairs into the bedroom. Tom moaned as he slowly gained consciousness, stretching his long legs and arms only to find himself alone in his bed. With sleepy eyes, he looked around his room for any evidence of his lover, only coming up with a full suitcase in the corner and a lovely smell emanating from downstairs.

With his curiosity spiking, he jumped out of bed, put on a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt and followed the scent. What he saw as he got to the kitchen, was unexpected.

He stood at the kitchen doorway with a smile, looking at the girl in a giant t-shirt with her legs bare. He watched her scuttle along like a little worker bee, humming along with the radio that was quietly playing the morning tunes.

She had already set the kitchen table for breakfast. The source of the delicious scent, that seemed to be some sort of baked good, rested on top of the counter under a tea towel.

The busy little worker had indeed been keeping busy, creating a lovely start to the day. Tom laughed, as he watched her try to figure out how to use the juicer on the kitchen counter.  With oranges rolling around, some even falling down to the ground, Alexandra cursed at the machine.

“It doesn’t respond well to abuse, that machine.” Tom said with a chuckle as he picked up the round fruit from the floor. Alexandra turned around in surprise, not hearing him come in. She turned her focus back on to the machine from hell.

“It doesn’t love me.” she sighed, giving up trying to figure out the mechanics of the machine.

“You think everything will fall in love with you when they first meet you?” he joked, his eyebrow lifting up as he smiled.

“Why not? You did.” she retorted. Tom lowered his head in defeat, a huge smile forming on his face at the statement.

With a tap on her rear, he stood next to her and showed her how to squeeze the juice, producing two glasses of delicious fresh orange juice. Afterwards, he approached the baking tray covered with a tea towel. He unveiled the beautiful tarts and moaned with approval.

“You did all this?” he asked as he looked the pastries over.

“I did.” she confirmed. “And it wasn’t easy! Your cupboards and fridge were empty, don’t you eat?” she asked.

“Ehehe. I haven’t gone to the supermarket yet. I went to the corner shop to get a few things, when I got back home the other day.” he answered as he sat down, his plate adorned with the pastries and leftover oranges. “We can go stock up after breakfast.”

Alexandra smiled at him in confirmation, taking a sip from her fresh juice.

“Speaking of which… What is this exactly?” he asked, wondering how she managed to bake with barely anything left in the house.

“They are turkey, egg and feta tarts. Usually I’d make them with bacon or ham, but since you didn’t have any, I had to improvise. Hope you like ‘em.” she said as Tom cut into them.

“They smell divine, love. Thank you.” he said as he took the first bite, a look of enjoyment spreading onto his face.

After their delightful breakfast, the two hopped into a quick shower together. Alexandra looked Tom over as he dried himself off in front of her mirror, noting how broad and strong his shoulders and back were, due to all the training.

Tom straightened up and stared at his reflection in the mirror, massaging and scratching his chin, wondering whether or not to shave that morning.

Alexandra walked next to him, taking out the contents of her makeup bag. She smiled at him as he pondered.

“I think you should let it grow out.” she said as she focused back on her makeup. Tom looked at her with a “hm?”.

“The beard… I think you should let it grow.” she mumbled as she started applying her makeup. Tom chuckled at her, deciding to listen to her opinion and not shave that morning. He looked at her through the reflection, and saw something he hadn’t noticed before.

“Alexandra, what happened to your eyebrow?” he asked as he stared at her left brow through the mirror. Alexandra looked up surprised. He turned around and faced her, running his thumb gently on the light scar at the end of her brow. The water and soap from the shower had washed away all the leftover makeup, leaving her face clean and fresh. The previously stitched up scar had left the end of the brow scarce with hair, and any leftover hairs were nearly invisible due to the lightness of the color.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” she said nonchalantly, searching for her brow pencil and other tools from her bag. “I had a bit of a fall a few years ago. It’s no big deal.” she continued.

“Why haven’t I seen it before?” he asked out loud, not really directed at her but to himself.

“I cover it up. Don’t want to walk around with only half of an eyebrow, now do I?” she laughed as she started covering it with the pencil. “Anyway, it’s not that important.” she shrugged.

Tom removed his thumb and watched as she applied the color. He felt a little uneasy at vagueness of the incident, but decided not push her further. “Okay.” he said as he kissed the side of her head. “Get ready and let’s go shopping.”

The two walked around the market side by side as Alexandra pushed the cart in front of her. To any other person, the two looked like any other long term couple in love, doing their grocery shopping for the weekend. But actually, when nobody was looking, the two would have resembled more like hormonal teenagers. The two were unable to keep their hands away from each other for more than five seconds.

Tom rubbed his hand against her back and stared at her lovingly, as she looked at the variety of produce. He stared at her intently as she was lost in thought, her brow furrowing as she tapped her lips with her two forefingers.

“What are you thinking about, love?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist, hugging her closely to him.

“I left all my recipe books at home…” she answered in thought. Tom chuckled quietly against her ear and kissed her temple lovingly.

“Darling, don’t worry. We won’t starve.” he comforted jokingly. “If you managed to make such a delicious breakfast, I’m sure we’ll manage.”

Alexandra turned her head to see him and kissed him on the lips. “Thanks baby.” she smiled.

The two continued their grocery trip, picking out items and ingredients, learning what each other liked and disliked.

“Hey…” Tom said as he wrapped his arm lazily around her shoulders as she pushed the cart. “I have an idea. Why don’t I cook for you tonight?” he asked excitedly, peaking her interest.

“You want to cook?” she asked in jest. “Okay. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve been told that my homemade spaghetti and meatballs are good.” he said smugly. “Do you like spaghetti and meatballs?”

“I do like a set of good meaty balls.” she answered with a double entendre, not realizing that there was a small child with his mother standing next to them. With a scowl and a huff, the mother scuttled away, pulling the child aeay by the collar.

“Oh my god…” Alexandra sighed with embarrassment, leaning over the shopping cart to mask her red face. Tom however seemed to enjoy the awkward situation, his tongue sticking out as he laughed heartily. Alexandra lifted her head and scowled at him.

“Now, don’t you look at me like that.” Tom said with his laugh slowly simmering down. “You’re the one with the dirty mind and a big mouth.”

“Mm-hmm…” she frowned, her cheeks still blushing. “Those better be some damn good balls.” she continued as she started pushing the cart again.

“I promise they’ll be the best balls you ever had.” he said with a smirk as he walked behind her, his head held high.

 

* * *

 

The two picked out the last of their items and headed back home. Tom showed her where all the items belonged to, in an attempt to make her feel more at home. Alexandra watched from the kitchen table, as Tom prepared the tomato sauce for the dinner they’d be having later on. She admired his hands as he delicately sliced the tomatoes and picked out the necessary spices and ingredients to finish the sauce. He entertained her with a stereotypical French accent, even though she knew he could actually speak French properly.

She laughed as he danced and span around the kitchen, wearing a black apron that said “Real men don’t need instructions”. He banged and tapped the pans and pots with a wooden spoon as he performed for her, enjoying her laughter and the happiness she felt as he played for her.

“And zo, after gently sautéing ze garlic and oil, and adding ze peeled and diced tomates, vous mix zem in ze pot. Add ze vin rouge, basil, bay leaves, le sel et le poivre to ze mix and let it cook for a couple of hours.” he concluded with banging a lid on top of the pot.

“You’re ridiculous.” she laughed out loud.

Tom, as the French chef, gave her a look of shock. “Sacré bleu! You dare call ze masterchef Thomas ridiculous?! Mon dieu…” he snapped at her, going way over the top with his character.

Alexandra loved it when he played around with her like this. The fact that he was willingly making himself look like a complete dork, just to make her laugh, brought such joy and happiness to her. She felt that, that was the mark of a truly good person. If they cared enough to make themselves look foolish for someone else, then that person was without a doubt special and should be cherished.

Alexandra got out of her seat and slowly walked over to him, her eyes half lidded with a glint of wickedness. With a pouty lip, she hugged him and ran her hands against his sides, slowly lowering them underneath his apron.

“What are you up to?” he asked with heavy lidded eyes, clearly having a reaction to her rubbing and teasing.

“Nothing.” she teased, bringing her hand between his legs, cupping and squeezing at his forming erection.

“Nothing, huh?” he smiled and kissed her lovingly. He inhaled deeply when she started squeezing him rhythmically. Tom held to the counter, letting her take the lead.

Alexandra applied kisses on his clavicle, trying to distract him as she quietly opened his fly and unbuttoned his jeans. The distraction worked, since the next thing he felt was her hands inside his pants, rubbing him up and down. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down at her. She had a naughty, smug smile on her lips that he wanted to kiss away.

“So, about them meatballs…” she hinted, before lowering down on her knees, pulling his jeans and underwear down with her. Tom was left with only his shirt and the apron.

Alexandra lifted the apron and threw it over her head, letting it rest against the back of her head and curve of her back. Tom laughed at the silly picture below him, but was immediately brought back when he felt small kitten licks on the tip of his cock. Tom grasped tighter at the edge of the counter, feeling overwhelmed at the sudden onslaught. His eyes widened and breath hitched as she licked longer stripes the full length of him.

Tom moaned as she concentrated on his tip, slowly taking it into her mouth. With her hand, she pumped the exposed length as she sucked and licked the tip, small beads of pre-cum forming at the end, which she licked into her mouth.

With his tip properly wet, she slid more of his cock into her mouth, massaging her tongue against the large vein underneath his skin. The more she licked, the easier it was to slide deeper.

“Oh fuck…” he sighed breathlessly, dropping his head back as he enjoyed the warm goodness. Alexandra moaned in response, the vibration resonating through his body. Her head bobbed fast underneath the apron, concealing her form. From an outsider’s point of view, it would have probably looked silly, but from Tom’s overhead view, it was truly an erotic one. The only thing he could see was a deep bobbing movement. The bobbing movement and the wonderful wet pressure ignited his imagination and made his knees weak.

Alexandra pulled back and grasped his cock, gently pulling it upwards so she could spread loving licks and kisses to his sack. She continued building the pressure on his cock by pumping him slowly. She massaged his balls by kissing them and gently sucking them into her mouth.

Tom was near madness as she played with him. His body heaved with the building pressure, making it hard for him to keep standing upright. He was about to pull the apron away and look down at her, but before he could do that, she went back to sucking his length. Tom froze at the feeling, his cock twitching, reading himself for what was to come.

Tom took a last look down, the pressure, the bobbing and the wet sounds from her mouth finally making him groan in release. His abs jerked repeatedly as his back arched violently, his come filling her mouth as she gently sucked through his orgasm.

Tom heaved, trying to regain his breath as Alexandra pulled off of him. She peeked from underneath the apron with a mousey smile, before lifting the apron off of her completely. She then stood up in front of him and kissed his exposed neck as he regained his breath. Tom deeply enjoyed the soothing, massaging feeling of her lips on the sensitive skin of his neck. Tom looked down at her beautiful face, her lips were red and puffy from the workout. She smiled at him lovingly, gently rubbing his chest affectionately.

“You’re cleaning this mess up.” she pointed to the messy counter filled with tomato seeds and juice. Tom nodded as Alexandra tapped him on the chest and left the kitchen. “I’ll be upstairs, finishing my unpacking.”

“Yes dear.” he huffed, still grasping the edge of the counter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments are appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm not that good at writing feels or angst (at least not properly), so please bare with me.
> 
> EDIT: Added the first chapter of 'The Deleted Scenes' to the end of this chapter.

Later that afternoon, after the little incident in the kitchen, Alexandra unpacked the rest of her stuff while Tom decided to devote a few hours to his play. The quiet alone time provided her to think about the situation between her and Tom. The nagging feeling of how long she could stay here in London, plagued her mind. She thought long and hard how to start the discussion, only coming up with awkward, crappy outcomes that didn’t feel satisfying at all.

Eventually all her clothes were hung up in the small, free space that Tom had graciously provided in the walk-in closet. Alexandra decided, that if they should ever have a discussion of her stay, it better be now, before things get more complicated.

Alexandra tiptoed quietly through the hallway to Tom’s study. She peeked her head through the door crack, seeing him sitting on the couch, script in hand. Not wanting to disturb his concentration, she pulled her head back and closed the door. But in doing so, the door squeaked, making Tom look up from the script. Alexandra cursed inwardly, a soft blush creeping on her face for getting caught spying.

“Alexandra?” Tom called out. She peeked her head in again, a sheepish look on her face. “You okay love?” he asked.

“Yeah. Just wanted to check on you. I’m sorry for disturbing you.” she said shyly as she was about to leave again.

“You’re not bothering me at all, silly.” he said with a happy smile. “Come here.” he waved.

Alexandra opened the door and silently walked to him with bare feet. He turned towards her, opening his legs so she could walk in between them. She stood in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, trailing loving kisses on her clothed belly.

“What’s on your mind love?” he asked with tired eyes and a smile. Alexandra threaded her fingers through his hair, hesitantly trying to tell him something.

“I, um…” she started, looking straight down at the floor. Tom leaned his head down, trying to catch her attention. With a “hm?”, he waited for her to continue.

Alexandra lifted her head and finally looked him in the eyes. “I think we should have a little talk.” The happy smile on Tom’s face slowly vanished, leaving only a confused expression as he nodded in agreement.

“Let’s make some tea.”

 

* * *

 

Tom and Alexandra sat around the kitchen table, slowly sipping their hot tea. The couple sat together quietly, the clock on the wall echoed every quiet second in the room. Alexandra stared at Tom as he was focused on stirring his tea, trying to ignore the upcoming discussion that he hadn’t really expected. Alexandra felt very uncomfortable in this situation. She didn’t want to bring the loving atmosphere they shared down, but Tom had feigned ignorance and chose not to think about the longevity of her stay.

“So…” Alexandra mumbled, not knowing how to start the impending discussion.

“So…” he repeated, staring down at his drink.

“Can you look at me, please.” she said with a slightly irritated voice, wanting him to focus on her, instead of the drink. Tom raised his head with a shy, sad look.

“Are you leaving me? Did I do something wrong?” he asked with a trembling, confused voice. Alexandra’s eyebrows raised in surprise, not expecting him to say such things. “Because I don’t want you to leave.” he said with furrowed eyebrows, looking very vulnerable.

“Eventually I’d have to, Tom. You know that.” she replied with sorrow in her eyes. Tom scoffed, running his hands through his hair. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. He leaned back against the chair, staring straight into her eyes.

Alexandra sighed, not meaning to start the conversation so harshly. She leaned against the table, taking a hold of his hands that rested on it. “I’ve got two weeks of holiday left, then I have to go back.” she said with a straining voice, trying to ignore the pleading looks that Tom gave her. “I already got enough heat from the girls at work, for leaving without any warning. So, let’s just enjoy what time we have together, okay?” she asked with a desperate smile.

“NO!” he answered sternly, startling Alexandra. Tom let out a deep breath, scolding himself for scaring her. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I really want you to stay here.” he continued.

“Tom, you’re basically asking a stranger to live with you. We barely even know each other.” she pleaded. “This whole situation is weird and unusual.” she laughed at the absurdity of the situation, tears slowly forming in her eyes.

“I don’t care.” he leaned forward against the table, cradling her hands. “Tell me what you want, love. If you feel uncomfortable being “strangers”, then… then let’s do something about it.” he pleaded desperately. Alexandra looked at him oddly, not understanding what he meant or what he was hinting at.

“I don’t underst-“

“I want to date you.” he interrupted as the idea popped into his head. “Properly.”

Alexandra stared at the man, not knowing how to respond. “I’m not following. What do you mean “date properly”? ”

“Let’s start over. Let me take you out on traditional dates. Dinners, movies, chocolates and flowers, the whole lot.” he said with excitement, trying to convince her. A wild look danced in his eyes. “And if you really feel that you want to leave after that, well…” his look of excitement dimmed down, but he was determined to finish his sentence. “Then I won’t stop you.”

Alexandra looked at him with surprised eyes. The wild idea fascinated her. “But won’t you be way too busy to start dating like that? I mean, with all the training and –“

“Let me worry about that.” he interrupted. Tom got out of his seat and kneeled next to her. He took a hold of her hand and thigh, begging her “I’m not ready to give you up so easily.”

Alexandra burst into tears after his words of affection. She bit her lip trying to hold back the running tears.

“Oh my love, please don’t cry.” he comforted, standing up and taking her into his arms. He cradled her as she leaned on him, running his hands through her long hair. “You know, this doesn’t have to be this difficult.” he said with a loving smile.  Alexandra laughed through her tears and looked up to his face.

“I know.” she agreed. “So, you want to date me, huh?” she asked with a laugh and sniff as she pulled back from his arms, wiping her tears away.

Tom laughed at her breathlessly. “What can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic.” They both giggled, feeling more comforted. “It’ll all be alright.” he said with hope.

Alexandra caressed his cheek with the back of her hand, his loving warmth spreading to her heart with hope. He pushed into her hand, like a cat would when petted. “Okay.” she agreed to his suggestion, pulling her hand away to wipe off the remaining tears.

“Okay?” he asked with a smile, earning him a nod. “Okay. Well…” he paused, not completely sure how to continue from here. He laughed slightly nervous and looked down to his hands, a new idea springing into his head.

Tom straightened up and looked at Alexandra with a wide smile, stretching out his hand to her. “Hello, my name is Tom. Tom Hiddleston. Nice to meet you.”

Alexandra laughed, not expecting it to start out like this. She took ahold of his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Tom. My name is Alexandra Turner.” she introduced herself.

Tom repeated her name and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it delicately. “Would you care to have dinner with me this evening?” he asked, still keeping up with the new roleplay. She agreed with a smile, playing along with his little game.

“Fantastic.” he smiled, bringing his hands together with a clap and then rubbing them together excitedly. "How ‘bout I pick you up in, say, an hour and a half? Do you think you’ll be ready then?” he asked.

“Pick me up?” she asked confused. Tom pointed up towards the ceiling, meaning he would pick her up from the bedroom they shared. Alexandra huffed in laughter as she understood his reference. “Yeah, I’ll be ready by then.” she smiled.

“Great. Well… I’ll pick you up then.” he kissed her goodbye on the cheek.

Alexandra left the kitchen, wondering what she had gotten herself into this time. Her heart fluttered at the effort and commitment Tom was willing to go through for her, igniting a burning fire in her. At this moment, Alexandra was determined to fight just as much as Tom, for this blossoming relationship. Maybe a fresh start was just what they needed.

Alexandra climbed the stairs with an exited smile, determined to look her best for their “first date”. As she entered Tom’s bedroom, a thought crossed her mind. ‘If we’re gonna do this, might as well do it properly’ she thought to herself as she walked back into the walk-in closet.

 

* * *

 

Tom lit the final candle in the dining room, creating a very romantic atmosphere along with the soft background music. He had finished setting the table and the food was ready to be served. With a final glance, he checked that everything was perfectly in order. He straightened his shirt and picked up his black cardigan from the kitchen chair. Making sure he looked presentable, he headed upstairs to “pick up” his date.

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he realized he didn’t have a gift for her. ‘Surely a gentleman should bring a gift for his beautiful date’ he panicked. He zoned in on one of the small flower arrangements he had gotten as gifts from various production companies. He picked out two daisies, knowing the association behind them. He picked up a strand of colorful twine out of a nearby hutch and wrapped it around the flowers.

He sighed with excitement and headed upstairs. When he got to his room, the door was wide open but she wasn’t there. Confused, Tom checked the huge walk-in closet and bathroom. Nothing.

“Alexandra?!” he shouted, trying to locate her.

“In here!” she shouted back. Tom followed the voice to one of the guest bedrooms. Wondering why she wasn’t in his room, he knocked on the closed door and waited.

Alexandra opened the door wearing a simple, yet elegant red dress. The scoop-neckline and cap-sleeves elongated her neck and showed off her feminine clavicle, showing just enough cleavage to tease and fantasize about.

“Hi.” she greeted with a smile, tucking her long free hair behind her ear.

“Wow…” he looked at her stunned. “So beautiful.”

Alexandra giggled and blushed at the complement and his reaction. Tom finally focused and handed her the daisies, bringing a smile to her face. Alexandra played along, knowing well that the flowers were from one of the vases.

“Daisies. How appropriate. You shouldn’t have.” she teased with sarcasm.

“Shall we?” Tom offered her his arm and led her down to the dining room.

 

* * *

 

“So my dear, I believe it’s customary on a first date to ask questions in order to get to know each other. So, if I may, I’d like to go first.” he began as they began eating their starters. She nodded in agreement and smiled. “So, what do you do for a living?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

 Alexandra laughed to herself, finding it difficult to stay in character. “I work as an art-teacher at an art studio. I try to teach youngsters and seniors how to paint and use different techniques.” she replied as she sipped her wine. “I occasionally teach pottery and other crafts as well.”

 “Amazing.” Tom replied with interest, barely even touching the salad he had on his plate. “I was never good at painting or drawing as a child, so I find it very fascinating when someone is able to create something beautiful with their hands.”

 “Well, it’s just something I’ve always enjoyed doing and then as I grew up, I felt that it was my calling. Maybe I could teach you something someday?”

 “I’d love that. I’m afraid my sisters got most of the artistic qualities of the family.” he joked.

 “You have sisters?” she asked genuinely interested. He had mentioned that he had sisters, in passing, but he didn’t really talk much about them.

 “Yes, I have two. Sarah is my older sister and Emma is my younger sister.”

 “And you’re in the middle.” she smiled.

 “And I’m in the middle.” he repeated. “Do you have any siblings?” he asked. She never mentioned about her immediate family, so he was interested in hearing about the people who gave her life and grew up with her.

 Alexandra immediately stiffened up in her seat, slowly grasping for the water. “No, I’m an only child.” she answered.

 “Didn’t your parents want more, or…?” he asked delicately, knowing by her reaction that it was a touchy subject, but he still wanted to know more.

 “No, umm, my dad left us when I was five.” she said while looking down at her plate. “And my mom died of breast cancer four years later. That’s when I moved to my aunt and uncle’s place.”

 Tom looked at her apologetically, not expecting to hear such things. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

 “No no.” she waved it off, gathering herself. “It’s fine. It was almost twenty years ago, don’t worry about it.” she smiled with a shrug.

 

* * *

 

Tom had felt a little guilty about the incident earlier that night. He reprimanded himself as he was in the kitchen, fixing their main course. Alexandra had gotten over it though, shrugging it off and blaming it on innocent curiosity. Thankfully the rest of the evening went by smoothly.

 The couple wined and dined with pleasurable chit chat about their favorite music, movies and tv-shows, both agreeing how addicting their favorite show, Game of Thrones, was.

The couple even slow danced for a few minutes, before it was time to go to bed.

 Tom and Alexandra walked together upstairs hand in hand, still carrying on their ongoing conversation. Tom stopped and wondered why she kept walking down the upstairs hallway, since his bedroom was the first room next to the stairs.

 “Where are you going?” he asked confused.

 “To my room.” she nodded with a smirk. “You think you’re getting lucky on the first date?” she teased with a giggle.

 “Alexandra…” he looked at her with a smile, not believing he was going to have to sleep all by himself.

 Alexandra walked back to him and gave him a small peck on the lips. “Thank you for the wonderful date. I had a great time.” she winked and stepped into the guest room. “Good night.” she wished him and shut the door, leaving Tom standing alone in the hallway.

 With a sigh, Tom looked at the guestroom door, not expecting the night to turn out quite like this. He turned his head forward and took his cardigan off as he entered his bedroom. “Not exactly what I had in mind.”

 

* * *

 

Tom pulled off the rest of his clothes and began his nightly routine. He took a shower and brushed his teeth, then jumped into his large, comfy bed. Immediately the scent of his love invaded his senses, making it difficult for him to fall asleep.

“For fuck’s sake.” he sighed as he turned to the pillow she had rested on earlier, inhaling deeply the fresh scent.

He rolled onto his back, clutching the pillow to his face. He lowered the pillow to his chest, imagining she was resting on top of him. The image combined with the lovely scent soon had an effect on him. A very distracting, yet easily cured effect. He was gloriously hard. The underwear clearly lining his straining erection, under the sheets.

With a huff, Tom shuffled out of his boxers and settled comfortably against the pillows, slowly trailing his hand down along his abs and happy trail. He reached down and gently cupped himself, imagining it was her delicate hand.

Tom sighed at the insufficient stimulation. Reaching into his nightstand’s drawer, he pulled out the tube of lubrication, squirting a small amount onto his palm and spreading it onto his hard cock.

With his forefinger and thumb, he wrapped them around his length and started a gentle, slow rhythm. He teased himself with the loose hold, working himself up until the images of his love made it impossible to go slow.

 

In his head, he fantasized that he was sitting lazily on the loveseat next to his bed, with his legs spread obscenely wide as Alexandra kneeled between them. He stared at the reflection on the mirror that was on the other end of the room. He watched as the back of her head bobbed up and down on a steady pace, her loose hair swaying slightly as she moved. The image made his breath hitch and jaw open.

 

Tom moaned at the image in his head, using his whole fist to wrap around his length. He unconsciously spread his legs open and bent his knees, allowing him to buck up to his fist.

 

Tom looked down to see two beautiful eyes stare up at him, love and devotion sparkling clearly in her emerald eyes. Her mouth was completely full of him, but that didn’t stop her from smiling at him. He chuckled at her lovely smile, bringing his hand to the side of her face to caress her temple with his thumb.

“You’re so beautiful.” he whispered, gaining him a moan in response that made his cock twitch in his mouth. Alexandra continued her sucking, bringing her hands to his inner thighs.

 

Tom lowered his free hand to his sack, cupping and massaging his balls as he thrust into his tight fist. He shamelessly moaned her name in his closed bedroom, the fantasy and scent bringing him closer to the brink.

 

Tom watched as Alexandra sucked harder and faster, making him sweat because of the pressure. She took a hold of his hands and brought them to the back of her head. By pressing them against her head, she signaled that she wanted him to take control. Tom wrapped his fingers through her hair, along her scalp, and pressed her head down against his groin, the fantasy allowing her to take him in fully. Tom moved forward on the loveseat, allowing him more leverage to buck into her mouth and throat.

Seeking his end, he gathered all of her hair and pushed her head down as far as possible, as he thrusted forward, fucking her mouth with determination.

“Oh my love…OH…fuck!” he moaned out as he finally released stream after hot stream of come into her waiting mouth. He kept her head down until the very end, finishing his fantasy with a shaky breath.

 

With a sigh, Tom looked down at his hand that was still grasping his shaft. His hand and belly smeared with his sticky come was a very satisfying image. With a few tissues from his nightstand, he cleaned himself off and rolled to his side, grasping the pillow with the scent of peaches and cream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are wondering about the little bit about the daisies, check this link:  
> http://livingartsoriginals.com/flower-daisy.htm  
> I was refering to the first sentance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are some mistakes. It 2:30 am here and I couldn't bring myself to go to bed without posting first. :)

Alexandra woke up well rested the next morning. She stretched her back in the comfy bed, remembering how the previous night ended. She snickered to herself, hoping Tom didn’t take offence. The clock on the nightstand told her that it was well past 9, and with a slight groan, she got out of bed and headed downstairs. She peeked into Tom’s room as she passed the opened door, but by the state of the made bed, he had already woken up and gone on with his day.

Alexandra walked into the empty kitchen, noticing a small note on the counter. Curiously, she picked up the note, which indeed seemed to addressed to her.

_Good morning my darling,_

_I’m so sorry that I can’t be there to wish you good morning, but I had to go and train for the play. I hope you slept well and are fully relaxed and energized._

_I do have something planned for us today, so please have something to eat and then get ready to go out. I’ll pick you up at noon._

_Love, Tom_

_ps. wear comfortable shoes!_

Alexandra smiled at the handwritten note that promised her a surprise. She fetched her phone and quickly typed a message as her tea water boiled.

_-So what’s the surprise? –A._

She asked, knowing well he wouldn’t tell. She didn’t receive a reply immediately, so she decided to put the phone down and make her tea. ‘Probably in the middle of something’ she thought. After a few minutes of enjoying her breakfast and reading the paper, she heard the familiar tone, telling her she received a message.

_-Good morning to you too! Well, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it? ;) –T_

Alexandra laughed at his bluntness, enjoying that he wanted to play her little game.

_-True, but I’m not blessed with patience –A_

_-So you need a lesson on delayed gratification, my love? I may be able to help you with that ;) –T_

Alexandra knew of course, what he was referring to.

_-Only if you have cookies ;) –A_

_-Cheeky. Sorry darling, but I really must continue kicking Hadley’s arse. I’ll see you at 12. –T_

Alexandra smiled as she texted him bye, putting down her phone and going back to her tea.

 

* * *

 

“Tom, where are we going?” Alexandra laughed excitedly as Tom rushed her to the passenger seat of his car, before strapping himself in.

“I don’t want to ruin the surprise. You’ll know when we get there.” he smirked as Alexandra huffed with mock frustration. The surprise was killing her, reminding Tom what she had said earlier about her patience. He glanced over to her as she looked out of the passenger side window, enjoying the English architecture in this amazing city.

She noticed him staring at her from the corner of her eye, briefly turning to smile at him before continuing her observation. He enjoyed her excitement that sparkled in her eyes. It brought warmth into his heart, that he wished he could feel forever. He took ahold of her hand and kissed it, sharing his love and affection in even the most smallest of ways.

Alexandra’s eyes widened as she slowly realized where they were going, bringing a smile onto Tom’s face as he saw her reaction, parking the car near the humongous building that was the National Gallery. “You brought me to see the paintings?” she asked with excitement, not believing she was finally able to see some of the most beautiful art in history.

Tom laughed at the way she asked the question, holding onto her hand so that she wouldn’t fall down with too much excitement. “Yes love, I brought you to see the paintings.”

Alexandra flailed at the thought of finally seeing one of the museums she had always wanted to see, giving hope to the fantasy that maybe she really could visit all the other places she had dreamed of seeing. Alexandra quickly took a hold of Tom’s arm, surprising him with her speedy reflexes, and dragged him with her as she ran towards the large steps of the grand building.

 

* * *

 

“That was amazing!” Alexandra cheered as the two left the gallery. The couple spent all afternoon looking at the art and discussing about the grand masters. Tom listened as Alexandra taught him about the history of her favorite paintings, watching her with admiration as her eyes sparkled. She was in her natural element.

Even though the art was interesting and definitely eye catching, what Tom ended up staring most of the time, was his Alexandra. He loved seeing her so happy and excited. He promised himself then and there, watching her admire the paintings with her undivided attention, that he would do anything in his power to take her to see all her dream galleries. Seeing her happy would be his sole goal in life.

 

* * *

 

Afterwards, the two sat down at a French bistro near the gallery, enjoying something simple to eat after the long afternoon. “So you had a good time then?” he asked, wanting to hear more about what she was thinking.

“The best. I never thought that I’d be able to visit places like that. Thank you so much Tom.”

“My pleasure.” he smiled. The two carried on with their dinner, continuing their earlier discussion. The two inconspicuously played footsie under the table, the romance between them taking over and slowly creating a lovely mood as they held hands on the table, next to the dim table light. Tom ran his thumb across her fingers affectionally as he stared into her eyes, talking to her in a low voice that only she could hear.

 

“Execuse me, exucese me.” a voice next to their table asked, making Tom pull back abruptly, the move clearly confusing Alexandra. The two looked at the source of the voice, a young good looking lady with her friend stood next to them, their eyes centered on Tom. They clearly knew who he was, and the way they looked him up and down, hinted that the in fact were die hard fans of his… Maybe even a little more than just fans…

The two girls unapologetically chatted Tom up, trying to impress him with their obnoxious flirting and giggling, clearly ignoring his companion as she sat there looking at the three awkwardly. But Tom being the gentleman that he is, he didn’t want to be rude to his loyal fans. He graciously gave his autograph and took pictures with the ladies, who were definitely trying to do a lasting impression.

Tom thanked them with a hug and a smile, trying gracefully to hint that they should leave. The two however didn’t seem to get it though. The leader of the two, the tall one with the short blond hair, ran her hand up and down Tom’s arms, making Alexandra’s temper coil. Outwardly, Alexandra seemed to be the spitting image of serenity, not letting her feelings take a hold of her, even though she really wanted to just jump on the bitch and smack her silly.

Tom, however, just thanked them and finally told them that he was right in the middle of something, presenting his secret date. Alexandra smiled awkwardly as the two finally faced her for the first time, clearly judging and looking down at her. The hatred was clearly painted on their faces, but Alexandra knew better than to start up a fight… Even though she really wanted to just let loose.

With a last desperate flirty wink, the two said their goodbyes, leaving Tom and Alexandra alone again. “Sorry about that.” he apologized with a smile, not suspecting that the interaction had left Alexandra feeling very uncomfortable and confused. The realization of Tom having adorers left Alexandra a bit worried. Not so much worried about that he would act on impulse, she knew he was better than that, but the way he acted when they were interrupted. The way he immediately pulled back from her in an instant, secretly hurt her. She was worried that she wasn’t good enough or special enough to be presented as his. As Tom’s girl.

Of course, she wouldn’t tell him about this. No, instead she smiled and acted like nothing had happened. “It’s fine.” she said as she placed her other hand, the hand he had been holding just a few minutes earlier, to her lap, quickly returning back to her meal that was getting cold.

 

* * *

 

Alexandra tried really hard not to overthink what had happened in the bistro, as the two walked hand in hand down the streets. She felt a sense of uneasiness. The fact that the man she was seeing, the man that she was so desperately falling more in love each day, was what some might consider, public property. The thought of having to hide their relationship and having to accept that he was the daydream of thousands of women, made her feel very uneasy indeed.

“You okay, love?” Tom asked as he brought her hand to his lips as they walked.

“Hm?” she asked, coming back to reality from her thoughts.

Tom chuckled at her absentness. “I said, are you okay? You seem a bit quiet.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I guess I’m just a little tired after being so active all day.” she told him. She didn’t dare tell him how she felt. She didn’t mean to lie, but she would have felt petty and childish if she had.

Tom nodded with a smile, completely accepting her explanation. “Hey, I was thinking… I’d like to take you to one more place before we head back home. You up for one more surprise?” Tom wrapped his arm around Alexandra, trying to seduce her to say yes.

“Oh, I think we’ve had enough surprises for one day.” she laughed awkwardly.

“Come on. I promise you’ll have a great time.” he tried to excite her once more, receiving him an annoyed look, in jest of course, and a long sigh, which he took as a yes.

“Is it far?” she asked as they kept walking.

“Nope. Just on the other side of the river.” he hinted.

 

* * *

 

“No! I’m not getting on that thing!” Alexandra said sternly as she pulled away from Tom. He chuckled at her quick change in demeanor. Just moments ago, she was as calm and quiet as a kitten, but now that they stood at the root of the London Eye, his little kitten had turned into a ferocious lioness, ready to pounce with claws if someone were to come too close.

“Alexandra, come on.” Tom tried to convince her. He held his arms out towards her, trying to calm her down.

“Tom, I’m serious. I don’t want to go up there.” she said, slowly taking steps back from the giant ferris wheel and Tom.

Tom knew he shouldn’t laugh, but he found her to be absolutely silly and adorable. “Please come with me? The view is beautiful from up there.” he begged as he finally got closer. “You’ll later regret it if you don’t go. Here, I’ll hold you close the whole time if you’re scared.”

Alexandra squeaked and gulped as Tom wrapped his arm around her and walked them to the gate.

“Oh my god!” Alexandra exclaimed shockingly as the carriage started to move forwards, immediately making her cling to Tom. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she laid her head tightly against his chest, looping her fingers through the belt loops of his jeans. Her legs instantly turned into jelly and shook, the pit of her stomach trembling wildly.

Tom was a little surprised that she couldn’t last even 5 seconds. With a quiet giggle, he wrapped both his arms around her trembling body, rubbing her back as he tried to make her relax. “You’re going to miss the view if you keep your head tucked away and your eyes closed.”

“Nope. Too scared.” she whispered, the sound of her voice had a tremble in it, which matched the rest of her body.

“Here…” he said as he started moving them towards the front panel.

“No no no! Don’t move!” she panicked, fisting her hands on his jeans and staying put on the spot they were currently standing on.

“Trust me, you’ll like it.” he tightened his grip on her back, soothing her mind and body, slowly inching their way to the window. He turned them sideways so both of them could look out the window without letting go.

“Open your eyes.” he whispered, looking down at her face as she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the view. The look on her face reminded him of how babies look around when their eyes finally start opening, watching everything around them with amazement. Alexandra brought her hands up to his chest, finding solace at the firm muscle that acted like a sturdy wall.

“Are you okay?” he whispered with a smile as she looked out of the window at the large city, all the lights shining brightly against the dark backdrop.

“My toes are tingling.” she whispered back randomly, making him laugh at her unexpected answer. He kissed the top of her head as she kept looking out, marveling the beautiful view. With a final kiss and hum, he lowered his cheek on top of her head and watched at the bustling city, with his love safely tucked underneath his strong arms.

 

* * *

 

“So, what did you think?” Tom asked as the two walked away from the gate, Alexandra immediately sitting down on one of the nearby benches as Tom laughed at her being dramatic.

“Amazing. Absolutely fantastic.” she replied as she settled down and took a couple of deep, calming breaths. “I never want to do that again.” she groaned.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Tom pleaded with her with a smile, hoping that the intimate moment they shared wasn’t wasted.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, one feeling very happy and positive about the experience and the other, sheer annoyance and trauma. Tom stood in front of Alexandra, shifting his weight from leg to leg as they shared an awkward moment. His smile grew into a wider grin at the silliness of the situation. Alexandra couldn’t help but burst out laughing, bringing Tom down with her.

“Yeah, that was awesome.” she finally agreed.

 

* * *

 

The couple continued their leisurely evening walk in the nearby Jubliee Gardens, just enjoying the nice cool breeze. It reminded Tom of the first time they walked hand in hand back in Los Angeles, enjoying each other’s company even though they had just met.

It felt like ages ago. So much had happened between them, it was surreal. But he was happy. He was happy to have her here, happy to hold her hand, happy to make her laugh. “I hope you enjoyed yourself today.” Tom said in passing as they walked on the pathway to the waterfall, breaking their silence.

Alexandra looked up at him with a smile, lacing her fingers tightly with his as they held their swinging hands. “I did, very much.” she replied, her voice sounding a bit tired. Tom only smiled lovingly as they arrived to the water element. They stood side by side for a few moments, just watching the water ripple and splash. “You wanna make a wish?” Alexandra asked smiling.

“I don’t know if that’s allowed. The pumps might get glog-“

“Come on, live dangerously.” she winked as she cut him off. Tom couldn’t say no to her charms, so he fished out his wallet and took out two coins, one for her and one for him.

“Here.” he gave her the coin. “What are you going to wish for?”

“I can’t tell you, otherwise it won’t come true.” she said as she turned around, trying to find the perfect angle to toss the coin over her shoulder. Alexandra finally found her spot, taking a few seconds to close her eyes and make her wish. Tom watched as he stood facing her. Her concentration and smile made her look so carefree, making himself feel very open and free, totally without a care in the world.

With a final nod, Alexandra made up her mind, opened her eyes and threw the coin over her shoulder, making her wish. “Okay, now it’s your turn.” she said, getting out of the way and pushing him to the spot she just occupied. She eagerly turned him around and fixed his stance to create the perfect position. Tom of course played along, feeling entertained by her playfulness. She finally stopped and nodded, telling him he was good to go.

“Good?” he asked jokingly, making fun at her eagerness and obsession towards finding the perfect spot.

“Good.” she smiled, showing two thumbs up.

Tom took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking hard what he wanted. What he really wished for, was her. His Alexandra. He wanted each day of his life to be spent like this. With her. Holding hands, laughing together, sharing small intimate moments… And when times got too scary, he’d hold her close and make her feel safe, just like she would make him feel safe in return. The thought of having her as his, made his heart ache and stomach tremble. He felt his whole body shake with need, his lungs feeling tight and heavy, making it harder to breathe.

“Tom?” You gonna make your wish?” he heard her say. All of the cluttered thoughts in his head vanished by the sound of her voice. He slowly opened his eyes, smiling at her as he saw her standing in front of him. He flipped the coin once in his hand, and looked her in the eyes intently as he threw the coin over his right shoulder.

After hearing the tiny splash behind him, Tom lifted his arm towards the beautiful lady, beckoning for her to come closer. “Come on, let’s go home.” he whispered in her ear and kissed her temple as she leaned against him, his arm wrapped securely around her.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is pretty much just drama and feels...

The two quietly entered the house and made their way upstairs. Tom being the gentleman that he is, walked his date past his own room and straight to hers. With tired eyes, he stood in a respectable distance from her door, indicating that he wouldn’t try and suggest spending the night with her.

Alexandra faced him and stepped close enough so she could wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him down so she could kiss him goodnight. She gently caressed his cheek with the back of fingers, gaining her a soft, happy hum as they still embraced.

“Aren’t you going to ask me?” Alexandra asked with a subtle grin and half lidded eyes.

“Ask what?” he flirted back, knowing exactly what she was up to.

“To spend the night together.” she lowered her hands to his chest, working him up as she teased and caressed.

“Nope.” he teased back, catching her by surprise. With a raise of her eyebrow, she lowered her hands down to the hem of his shirt, tickling gently at the skin behind the fabric with delicate fingers.

“You sure?” she asked lustfully, bringing her lips to his jaw, kissing and nipping her way to his ear, where she nibbled his earlobe.

Tom growled at the multiple points of stimulation she was tickling, making it harder for him to resist. He leaned more towards her, his turn kissing and nipping her shoulder, throat and jaw, until he reached her ear.

“Thanks for the wonderful date, I had a great time.” he whispered, imitating the very same words she had used only a day ago. Alexandra gasped slightly as Tom pulled her hands away from underneath his shirt. She couldn’t believe he was using her words against her. She slightly growled in protest as Tom kissed her cheek one final time and pulled back, wearing a huge grin on his face. With a goodnight, he walked back to his bedroom, head held high, proud of himself for standing up against her seduction as she was left standing in the hallway frustrated.

 

* * *

 

After washing all the gunk left by her makeup, Alexandra hopped into her bed and picked up her diary, writing about the exiting activities of the day. She was so flabbergasted about the museum trip, not believing that she was actually this lucky to see all the art there. And the view from the London Eye? Amazing, even though she was pretty sure she may have wetted herself just a tiny bit. Alexandra reeled all the amazing moments, not believing that she had met such an amazing man as Tom, who graciously took her to all these wonderful places. With her thoughts all scribbled down, she turned off the bedside lamp and tucked herself comfortably, resting her tired body and mind.

But only her body seemed to want to relax. Her mind kept winding back to the moment when the two girls interrupted their dinner at the bistro. The looks of hatred and disgust haunted her, even though she knew better than to make a big deal out of it. But she couldn’t help it. The demons of worthlessness and inadequacy slowly crept into her mind and heart, making her doubt her value in Tom’s life. The scars of her past revealed themselves in the darkness, bringing back horrible memories that she wished not to remember.

She laid in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep, the red light of the digital clock constantly reminding her how slowly the time passed. With a loud sigh, Alexandra gave up rolling around in her bed to try and fall asleep and got her tired body out of bed, wondering off to Tom’s room. She checked to see if he was sleeping, battling herself whether or not to wake him up. She watched as he slept peacefully, his breath going in and out of his body rhythmically. She missed sleeping with him. Missed holding him. With that mindset, she quietly tiptoed next to him and tapped him on the shoulder, as he slept on his side.

“Mmh?” he groggily hummed as he lifted his head. “Alexandra? What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time falling asleep.” she whispered embarrassed, instantly regretting waking him up from his slumber.

“You want to talk?”

“No, not really.” she hesitated. “Can I… Can I crawl next to you?”

Tom chuckled at her request, the idea sounding very nice indeed. “Put the dating thing on pause?” he asked with a smile, joking about the little dating game they were playing.

“Pause it.” she confirmed with a low chuckle.

Tom lifted the cover behind him, nodding her to come. “Get in, love.” and she did. “But keep your hands to yourself. No hanky panky until the third date.”

“Understood.” she promised as she crawled under the covers, resting her chest against his back as she spooned him.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Alexandra woke up absolutely tired. She heard Tom gently humming happily in the shower. The light shining through the drapes brightly against her eyes – again.

“Fucking light.” she groaned just as Tom walked out of the shower, wearing only a towel on his hips.

Tom laughed at the comment. “Morning sleepy head.” he cheered her with a kiss on her forehead, her hair completely covering her face like she was a bear that just woke up from hibernation.

“How can you be so cheery at 8 o’clock in the morning?” she asked groggily, slowly lifting herself up and resting her head against the big wooden headboard as she crumpled all the covers up to her neck, cocooning herself.

“I’ve been up since 6:30. I’m all pumped.”

“6:30? You’re insane.”

Tom laughed at the goofy looking beauty, not paying any attention to the playful insult. “Come on, I got you some breakfast as I came from my run.”

“Mmm.” she nodded in content. “Is it greasy and / or disgustingly sweet?”

“It’s just what you need, is what it is.” he said dressing his clothes on as she watched from the bed. Tom walked over to the bed and brushed the hair away from her face, kissing her cheek lovingly. “Get up, love.”

“Okay.”

* * *

 

Tom sipped on his hot tea as Alexandra finally came down from upstairs. He watched entertained as she shuffled to the coffee maker machine half dead, wearing a giant t-shirt that reached to the top of her knees, her rat’s nest of a hair all tied up in a high ponytail to get it out of her peripheral view.

“Taking it easy, I see.” he joked as he leaned his elbow on the table, holding the teacup in his other hand. Like a mummy, Alexandra only groaned as she slowly traveled between the machine and the fridge. Tom watched with a smile as a new side of her personality introduced itself to him. The reason that prompted her to act like the walking dead, the reason she crawled into bed with him in the middle of the night, intrigued him.

“So what kept you up most of the night?” The question immediately woke her up, making her halt in surprise. Alexandra slowly poured her coffee in her cup, buying her more time to figure out what to say. Tom of course noticed the shift in her movement, as she became more active and distant all of a sudden.

“It’s nothing. Just couldn’t sleep.” she replied, her back facing him as she added the cream and sugar, not wanting to lie straight to his face.

“Alexandra.” he warned, not buying her simple explanation. “Look at me.”

Alexandra turned around and walked to the empty chair across from him. The kitchen table quickly turning into their favorite spot to discuss their problems and issues. She sighed as she sat down, swirling the spoon in her coffee, as Tom watched her, waiting for a proper explanation.

“Why did you pull back from me yesterday at the restaurant?” she asked surprising him. He looked at her with his eyebrows up in question, not understanding what she was asking.

“I’m sorry?” he placed his morning tea on the table, not trusting his hand to keep the cup up as he searched his memory for any mistakes or offences he may have made during their date.

“When the two girls came to the table, you immediately let go of my hand. Why?” she asked her voice laced with hurt, staring down at her drink.

Tom tapped his fingertips against the table as he thought for an answer, not really knowing what to say. “I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t want them to start thinking that something was up between you and me.”

“What?!” she asked incredulously, her heart starting to beat with anger and hurt as she tried to make sense of what he just said. “Are you ashamed of me? What, am I not good enough to be seen with you in public?” she stuttered as tears threatened to form in her eyes.

Tom immediately regretted his poor choice of words, not meaning them to sound the way they did. “No no, I didn’t mean it like that.” he tried to explain, but she was already too far gone in her own head. He could see the obvious hurt in her eyes as her face slowly turned pink with rage and betrayal. Her chest heaved quickly as the first tears landed on her round cheek, breaking Tom’s heart. “Alexandra, please let me explain?” he begged as he tried to take her hands in his, only to be denied. Alexandra looked straight down to the table, not wanting him to see her like this.

“Of course I’m not ashamed of you silly.” he sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. What I meant was, that I couldn’t let them, or anyone else know, that we’re seeing each other.” he tried to explain, but stumbling with his words yet again. Alexandra scoffed at the insult as she wiped the falling tears away.

“I don’t want you to lose your anonymity, is what I’m trying to say.” he explained, choosing his words carefully. “I just thought that, maybe I could fool them into believing you were just a friend or a colleague. That way, maybe they would leave you alone. I never meant to hurt you darling, I just wanted you to be safe from any possible media backfire, that the two girls could have started.”

Alexandra looked at him with soaked eyes, feeling very stupid and embarrassed for acting so hastily and childish. She nodded her head, accepting his explanation on the way he acted. “I’m sorry.” she apologized, bringing her hand to her face, so she could hide her embarrassment. With a few final sobs and hiccups, her breathing turned to normal and the redness slowly receded.

“Oh you silly girl.” Tom said as he got out of his chair and pulled her up, hugged her close. “Don’t be sorry. I’m so glad you told me how you felt.” he said, leaning his cheek against her head as he held her close, swaying gently from side to side, making sure she’d calm down. “It’s just…” he sighed. “I don’t want you to be hounded or, god forbid, be hurt in any way because of me.” he whispered.

Alexandra leaned back, looking up at him with a smile. “Narcissistic much?” she giggled with teary eyes, making Tom laugh with her. “It just hurt, the way you and the girls ignored me. It was like I was invisible.” she whispered.

“I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel invisible.” he whispered back gently, trying to comfort her. “We’re going to have to figure this situation out, aren’t we?” he asked, receiving him a gentle nod as she rested her head against his chest.

 

* * *

 

Tom later left to go finish up something Coriolanus related, that Alexandra didn’t fully understand, leaving her to her own devices. He had told her to feel right at home and make herself comfortable, but now that she was all alone in the huge house, she found herself completely and utterly bored.

She looked around the house, taking in every detail and photo, and admiring his impressive book- and music collection. But within the first hour she spent alone, she felt so out of place and a bit awkward, until she noticed his laptop on the living room coffee table.

She quickly formed a plan to keep herself active while Tom was away. She logged in to the guest account that Tom had created for her earlier, and checked the closest shops, sights and the routes to said locations. Happy with her findings, she got herself ready and presentable, and headed out on her London adventure.

 

* * *

 

“Hey Luke, what would you say if I told you, that I may or may not have gone out with someone to a public venue, on a date?” Tom asked his trusted friend as they both stood in a hallway backstage at the Donmar Warehouse.

“First of all: that was fast. Just a few days ago you were devastated over the loss of your week long bootycall. Second: Who did you go out with, did anyone see you and do they have a publicist?” the smartass friend interrogated, hoping to god he didn’t have to start cleaning Tom’s potential mess.

“Hey! That “bootycall” is one amazing woman who deserves respect.” he stood up for her, his voice taking a more dominating tone. Luke held his hands up and apologized, not really meaning to sound sarcastic or judgmental, but funny.

“Well, what would you say if I told you, that Alexandra flew over the next day we arrived and now we are sort of taking a shot at the whole dating thing?” Tom continued, trying to pass it off as not a big deal, so that his friend wouldn’t freak out.

Luke however dropped everything at the spot and stared at Tom, wide eyed. “No…” he said in disbelief, not wanting to believe a word Tom had just said.

“Afraid so.” he confirmed with a shrug and a smile. “Well… What’s the verdict?”

“…Shit…”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shout-out to Mimi, for keeping me entertained with her comments and reviews. I truly enjoy seeing them after each chapter! :)
> 
> So, only drama this time.

”No no… no. no Tom, no. You’re not doing this to me!” Luke panicked, walking back and forth in the small corridor in front of Tom’s dressing room. “What the hell is she doing here?”

Tom stood back against the corridor wall, watching his friend and confidant pace back and forth after he told that his new lover had followed him back to London. He stared at his friend slightly hurt by the way he was dealing with the new information, aggravated that he didn’t receive the support and blessing he was searching for.

“You’re being overly dramatic.” Tom said irritated, his jaw clenching at the denial. He felt the negativity that Luke was emitting, so in order to calm himself and prevent him from punching his friend, he shoved his fists into his pockets. “And what do you mean ‘why is she here’?” He asked, trying to stick up for the woman he loved. “She arrived at my place, came all the way from L.A., completely drenched and cold due to the rain. What was I supposed to do? Leave her out all alone in a foreign country without a place to stay?” he asked sarcastically.

“Tom, you’re letting a complete stranger live with you…” he pleaded.

“She’s not a complete stranger, Luke. And besides… I… love her.” he hesitated slightly when admitting his love. Hearing such a thing, confessing such love for someone, after only knowing them for a short time, truly was unusual, even outright strange. So, he understood what Luke was saying, even if he didn’t want to agree.  

Luke scoffed at the absurdity after hearing Tom say those three powerful words. He ran his hands through his hair and massaged his temples to try and will the forming migraine away. “You’re being ridiculous, Tom. You’ve always worn your heart on your sleeve. This is just a passing fancy. Nothing more.”

Tom immediately reacted to the way Luke belittled him, by pulling his balled fists out of his pockets, his chest heaving with anger. Tom of course would never hit his friend, even when aggravated. Tom promptly took a deep breath and calmed down, trying to take a hold of himself so he could explain his feelings properly, without damaging his relationship with his long term friend. “Listen, I know it sounds ridiculous and absurd, but I can’t help the way I feel about her.” Tom sighed, finally speaking calmly and peacefully. “I just… She makes me happy. She makes me laugh. And…” he paused, thinking back when they visited the museum and the London Eye. Seeing how happy she was that day and how exited she was, made his heart flutter. That was what he wanted to feel every time he woke up next to her and got to spend the day with. “I need her in my life.” he pleaded, his eyes searching his friend’s, hoping he would understand and be happy for him. For them.

Luke let out a long sigh in defeat, feeling slightly guilty for working Tom up like that. Luke didn’t like the fact that an unknown girl just mysteriously popped up, but since his friend was confident with his feelings for her, he decided to step down and listen to his request. “I’m sorry Tom. But just be careful, ok? You literally just met this girl and now you’re already saying you love her.” Luke pleaded, not just as a publicist, but as a concerned friend. “You have worked so hard to be where you are right now. As your friend, I’m begging you, please watch out. For all you know, she could be some crazy, psycho fan who stalks celebrities. Coming over here after you, unannounced, is just weird.”

Tom rolled his eyes at the accusation, not agreeing at all what Luke was saying about his Alexandra. “She’s not crazy or psychotic. Can’t you just be happy for me?” he raised his voice, making the people standing nearby look over.

Luke sighed regretfully. “Of course I want you to be happy, Tom.” he replied, trying to calm his friend down. “It’s just bizarre. But if you’re happy, then I’ll stand by you.” he tapped him on the shoulder, trying to apologize.

The two promptly made up, hugging it out in a manly fashion as they understood each other’s point of view on the matter.

 “So… Who knows about this?” Luke sighed, trying to figure out a strategy to keep the affair under wraps and hidden from the media and fans. Finding out that one of the country’s most adored bachelors was actually in a relationship, would indeed be an interesting headline.

“No one. You’re the first one I’ve told.”

“Okay, good. So, here’s what we’re going to do:” Luke whispered to Tom, wanting to make sure no one would overhear his plan as he grabbed Tom and walked him to the dressing room. “Don’t talk about her as your girlfriend in public, don’t be seen together doing all that romantic stuff and please make sure she doesn’t go out spreading intimate information, that the two of you are… whatever the two of you are up to.”

Tom winced slightly at Luke’s demands, not daring to tell him that they had already gone out in public and definitely done some romantic and intimate stuff. Tom kept that little detail hidden and ultimately agreed to his plan.

 

* * *

 “Alexandra?” Tom called as he entered the quiet, dark house, wondering where his guest had disappeared to. With no reply, he started searching for her, room by room. With no luck, he grabbed his phone and dialed, only to be left hanging without an answer.

For hours Tom sat sitting on the staircase, just waiting and calling, hoping that she was safe in the unfamiliar environment. He rocked back and forth, his elbows resting on top of his knees as he held his head in his hands. The alone time allowed him to think of the dynamics of the relationship: what did he want? Where did he think this romance was going? And how was he going to tell not only his friends and family, but the media? The mix of emotions of what Luke said earlier and what he felt for his new found love, were confusing him. The added worry of Alexandra being out by herself in a huge unfamiliar city, completely unaware of which areas to stay away from or who not to talk to, worried him to the brink of madness and rage. And she didn’t even leave a note or text, telling him she was going out.

Tom just sat there, hours on end. The earlier conversation playing tricks on his mind and heart. He felt like such a fool, just sitting there waiting for a woman to come home. But every fiber in his body still told him to wait it out.  

 

* * *

 Finally after nearly three hours of thinking, worrying and waiting, he heard the sound of a key opening the lock and something scraping against the door. Tom had a perfect view of the front door as he sat on the stairs. So when Alexandra walked in, she saw him sitting there with a tired, blank look. Her instant smile after first seeing him, quickly vanished after noticing him unhappy and tired.

“Hey.” she said as she put down her shopping, slipping off her coat as she stepped closer. With no reply, she slowly walked up the first few steps, looking straight at the tall man in front of her. “You ok?” she asked worriedly, crossing her arms.

“Where have you been?” Tom asked sternly with a quiet voice, confusing Alexandra. “I came home and you weren’t here. I’ve been calling you all afternoon.”

“I’m sorry,” she stuttered confused. “I was out. My phone must have been on silent.”

“I’ve been worried sick!” he shouted angrily, making Alexandra flinch as he scared her. “Not one word from you. NOTHING!”

“Tom, I –“ she began to explain, not understanding why he was so upset with her all of a sudden.

“What if something had happened? What if… what…” he sighed deeply, letting his frustration out. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his tired eyes as he was completely worn out and exhausted. He brought his hand to his forehead, dropping it down to massage and rub his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Alexandra peeped, sitting down next to him on the stairs, looking remorseful. She was beyond scared of him for blowing up like that, but still she wouldn’t leave him. “I was bored and alone. I just wanted to see more that was out there.” she told him.

Tom turned his head and looked at his love in the eyes, feeling like such an ass for scaring her and blaming her for his own insecurities. He watched as she slightly trembled next to him, no doubt wondering what he would do or say next.

Tom scolded himself for hurting her like this. He took ahold of her shaking hand and kissed the back of it, silently apologizing to her as his eyes pleaded for forgiveness. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.” he finally said to her, rubbing his thumb affectionately against her hand. “I just had a long, exhausting day and I was just worried that…”

“What were you worried about?” she smiled sweetly, leaning closer to him as she delicately kissed his shoulder, waiting patiently for him to finish his story.

“That you were lost or unsafe or, god forbid, had left me for good.” he said shyly. Truth be told, the last scenario frightened him the most.

“Oh, you silly man.” she smiled eyes bright, forgiving him as she hugged him close and kissed him on the lips. ”We’re going to have to have another sit down conversation at the kitchen table, aren’t we?” she joked, making him laugh.

”Ours is a stormy kind of love.” he quoted U2, making her giggle. “We seem to be having a lot of serious sit down conversations lately.”

“Yeah…” she agreed sighing. “Maybe this dating thing isn’t such a grand idea?”

Tom instantly stiffened up and turned to her, hearing what she was implying. Fortunately she still had a wide smile on her lips as she leaned against his shoulder. “Yeah.” he agreed. “Or maybe we just need to try a little harder.” he smiled, leaning down to kiss her wholeheartedly before taking her into his arms and relaxing against the wall.

“So what did you get?” he asked trivially referring to the plastic bags next to the staircase they were currently sitting on.

“I found this lovely shop in town that sold lots of art supplies.” she said excitedly. “And I thought that I could keep myself busy while you’re out all day playing soldiers. I figured I could do some painting that I’ve missed out on. I may even teach you a thing or two, if you’re up for it.”

“Definitely.” Tom smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as always: All comments and/or reviews are welcomed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during chapter 6, while Tom was rehearsing and waiting for Alexandra to get back home.  
> Sorry, no Tom in this chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After consulting with my trusty commentator and source of brilliant ideas, aka Mimi (hello dear!), I decided to take her advice and transform the 2nd chapter of 'The Deleted Scenes' into the main story.
> 
> I started off by writing a 500-800 word one-shot, sort of telling what Alexandra was doing during the day, but I accidentally ended up writing a bit too much. Needles to say, it's place should really be here, instead in the other (now deleted) work. This goes to show, why one shouldn't try to write anything right before bedtime, and end up tired and completely without judgement...

With Tom gone for the day, this allowed Alexandra to branch out on her own and keep herself entertained. With his computer, Alexandra searched information on how to use the London underground and which stops to get on and off, so she could arrive easiest to her destinations. She searched the web, ultimately finding the necessary information that would help her travel from Belsize Park to the Tate Britain in Millbank, and then to the National Portrait Gallery in St. Martin’s Place. With her routes mapped out, she set off to the nearest station. With the gracious help by a very nice gentleman, she purchased her travelcard and began her exiting solo adventure in the London underground, hoping to god that she got to the right station at the right part of town.

 

* * *

 

With excitement and awe, Alexandra walked through the halls of the galleries, admiring every piece she could in her limited time. Of course, she enjoyed Tom’s company when they had visited the National Gallery earlier, but this time, Alexandra got to analyze the paintings as much as she wanted and ignore the rest, allowing her to move on her own pace.  She couldn’t resist telling the small children next to her, who were on a school trip at the latter museum that day, about the backstories she knew about the paintings. No doubt boring them by her excessive enthusiasm. The teacher however seemed to be rather happy that somebody was able to teach the kids something about the paintings.

Alexandra enjoyed the mini art class she was teaching. It reminded her of her own students back in L.A, and what she was currently missing out on.

 After a few minutes, the teacher thanked her, wishing her a good day as she moved the children along, speeding their trip so that they could get back home. Alexandra watched and waved at the few students that really seemed to be happy to listen to her teaching, feeling a wide grin form on her face as they waved back. With a happy sigh, she turned back to the paintings, admiring the beauty they possessed.

 “That was a very interesting lesson.” a deep voice said behind her. Alexandra turned just as a tall, posh looking man in his late 20’s walked next to her. He smiled at her sweetly, making her blush. “Are you…” he pointed to the leaving group of children, “are you with the group, or…?”

 “Oh, no.” she laughed as she looked at them. “I was just doing a favor for the teacher. She seemed to have had some trouble keeping the kids entertained.” she joked.

 “Right.” he smiled a beautiful smile at her, his eyes squinting as he looked at her face, making Alexandra’s blush deepen with the attention she was receiving. “Was any of that true?” the handsome gentleman asked.

 “Beg pardon?”

 “The stories about the paintings. Are they true?” he smiled while pointing at the painting they were currently standing in front of.

 “Oh.” she said, understanding what he was referring to. “I think so. I went to art school. I’ve always enjoyed art history, so I do a lot of reading about the subject.”

 “I can tell. You seem very passionate about it.”  

 Alexandra smiled at his flirting, deciding not to engage in it as she slowly walked to the next painting. The stranger of course followed after her, his hands tucked into his black trousers as he slowly walked behind her. Not obnoxiously close, but clearly trying to strike up a conversation with her. Alexandra didn’t dare look behind her, fearing what she would see or what that would lead into. She stopped a few paintings over, standing quite close to the painting so she wouldn’t create any eye contact with the man.

 “Pardon me for asking, but you don’t sound like you’re from around here?” the man asked, standing behind her in a respectable distance, not wanting to scare her off.

 “No, I’m not.” she agreed, her reflexes making her turn towards her partner in conversation. “I’m from California.”

 “I see. I thought I recognized the accent.” he laughed.

 Alexandra watched the good natured man next to her. He really was rather beautiful, with deep eyes, thick lips and a prominent nose. He really would have been a catch, but she knew better than to start messing around with someone else than her Tom.

 “Would it be rude of me to ask for a guided tour?” he asked sweetly, wanting to extend their dying conversation. “I’d very much like to hear more about these pieces.”

 “Oh, umm… I- I don’t know about _all_ the paintings here. I don’t know if I’m the right person for that.” she tried to respectfully decline.

 “Well, tell me just about the ones you do know of.” he begged.

 Alexandra looked at the pleading man, wondering why he was so keen to hear her talk. She eventually agreed to his request, her desire for history and teaching taking the best of her, even though she knew in the back of her mind that she shouldn’t lead him on or give any reason for flirting.

 “Fantastic. My name is Daniel, by the way.” he extended his hand to her, waiting for her to introduce herself.

 “Hi Daniel, my name is Alexandra.”

 

* * *

 

“That was rather impressive.” Daniel said as the two finally got back from their rounds.

Alexandra felt rather impressed herself, knowing quite a bit about the pieces displayed there. The awkwardness had dissipated somewhat after the first fifteen minutes, giving her a chance to truly get into the “tour”. “Thank you. I hope you didn’t find me too boring, like some of the children earlier did.”

“Absolutely not. I enjoyed every bit of it.”

Alexandra smiled shyly at the complement, dressing her coat on as she was getting ready to leave the building. “Well… It was nice meeting you.” she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Daniel stared at her deeply, not quite realizing that she was about leave him and go on with the rest of her afternoon. “Oh… You’re leaving? Already?” he asked disappointed.

“Yeah. I still want to go check out a few shops before I go back.” she smiled, playing oblivious to his apparent disappointment. “It’s starting to get late and I’m meeting someone.”

 “Boyfriend?” he asked suddenly, not meaning to be so curious. “Sorry. That was rude, I apologize.”

 Alexandra smiled awkwardly at the man, feeling sorry that she took this encounter a bit too far. “Complicated.” she winced as she whispered to him. “I should go.”

 “Wait!” he exclaimed, gently grabbing her arm to stop her. Alexandra turned around surprised, not expecting to be stopped. “I wasn’t quite honest with you.”

 Alexandra looked at him, not understanding what he meant by that. Daniel let go of her arm and searched the inside pocket of his suite jacket, taking out what seemed like a business card. He handed it over to her, watching her face intently as she read the writing on it.

 “I work here at the National Portrait Gallery, and I’d like to offer you a position here.”

 Alexandra stared between the man and the card, finding out that he was the HR manager of the gallery. Shocked, she mumbled incoherent words, not knowing how to react. Her mouth opened and closed, trying to get even one word out.

 “What?” she asked, her brain and mouth finally connecting to form a word.

 Daniel laughed breathlessly at her shocked state, enjoying that he was able to surprise her and render her nearly silent. “I’m look- ahem - we’re looking for someone just like you, for the gallery. We need somebody who can lead a tour through the gallery and talk about the history of these paintings. And since you seem to know what you’re talking about, maybe you’d be interested in a position?”

 “Wow. Wasn’t expecting that…” she let her inner dialog out, making Daniel laugh. “Thank you for the offer, but I can’t accept it. I don’t live here, only visiting.”

 “I’m sure you could apply for a visa?” he tried to convince her desperately. It was clear that Daniel wasn’t quite ready to let this woman get away. That much was obvious by the way he was fawning over her. Well… clear for everyone else except Alexandra.

 With the way she was reacting to the proposition, Daniel quickly calmed down and took a deep breath, before Alexandra could give her final declining answer. “Take the card and think about it. You don’t have to give me an answer right this moment. My number and email is on there.” And with that, he took a hold of her hand and shook it with both of his, telling her it was a pleasure to meet her and wishing her a goodbye, leaving her without accepting the decline.

 Alexandra stepped out of the building slowly, feeling very confused and surprised. “…the fuck just happened?”

 

* * *

 

Finally taking control of her own body and mind, Alexandra strolled along the streets of London, looking at all the beautiful buildings with a mix of new and old architecture. She was fascinated with the various cafés and tea-rooms as well as the interesting small shops. She arrived at the colorful and charming art supply shop she had searched earlier on Tom’s laptop, named L. Cornelissen & son. The walls were stacked with shelves full of supplies, making her miss the shop she worked back at home.

 She strolled along, just looking and admiring the products of her trade, wishing she could live there and just paint till she dropped with exhaustion. With new found fervor, Alexandra picked out everything she needed to keep herself entertained for the time being, selecting a various range of paints, brushes, paper and small canvases, hoping she would actually be able to carry all of this back to the house by herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note, I'd like to thank all of you who've read this and the previous story, as well as those who have left kudos. I really appreciate it! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get interesting. The theme of the day: Chocolate! ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully there aren't any mistakes. But if you find any, I apologize. It's 4 am here, and my stubborn self wouldn't let me sleep until this chapter was posted.

The next two days after the fight on the stairwell, there was certain routine the two had agreed upon. Alexandra managed to convince Tom that it was alright for her to explore the bustling city, as he was kept busy with the final rehearsals for his play. During the days, Alexandra would visit the local sights and museums, admiring the history behind the culture. At night, she would make sure she got back to the house just in time to greet her tired man, offering him a relaxing evening after spending long hours training for the upcoming play that was due in less than a month.

Fortunately for the two, the week was ending. This meant that Alexandra could have Tom all for herself for the evening and the next two days, allowing them to spend some much needed intimate time with each other. The two had jokingly agreed after deciding to take the relationship slowly, that they would try and stay abstinent during the course of their “dating period”, until the so called “third date” rolled along.

So far, the day had started off relatively easy. The two of them had decided to spend a quiet, intimate evening at home, instead of dressing up and going out on the town after the long hard day. Unbeknownst to Tom however, Alexandra had planned ahead, designing and planning a very interesting yet hopefully enjoyable evening for the two of them. She set up his bedroom for the surprise, making sure every single detail was perfectly constructed and fully functional. With that, she checked her watch and headed downstairs to begin making their romantic dinner.

 

* * *

 

After finishing his daily rehearsals at the Donmar, Tom showered and dressed in clean clothes per Alexandra’s request, ready to go and start his quiet evening at home with his love. ‘No distractions, no onlookers, no worries’ he thought to himself as he buttoned up his shirt. The smirk of anticipation must have been apparent by the way the onlookers stared at him quizzically. Tom of course didn’t pay any attention. He just went on with a skip to his step.

 

* * *

 

Alexandra heard the familiar clinging sound made by keys unlocking the front door, signaling Tom was finally home. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair and brushed her blue halter top, just to make sure she was as presentable as possible, even though this was supposed to be a low-key “date” at home. In the kitchen, she finished pouring red wine into two glasses, as Tom peeked through the doorway, flashing her a bright smile as he walked slowly to her.

“Hello.” he greeted her, bending down to give her a long kiss as he rubbed the small of her back.

“Hi.” she whispered, “How was your day?” she looked up and caressed her fingers against his cheek, lovingly sharing her affection as he circled both his hands around her waist. Quietly he told the highlights of his day as he spread small gentle kisses on her face and neck, making her giggle at his sweet attack. “Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t you have some wine while we wait.” he nodded, taking the glass she had just poured wine into and headed into the living room to relax.

 

* * *

 

The two enjoyed the quiet evening, just eating and watching a movie as they cuddled on the couch, enjoying each other’s company. Tom ran his fingertips gently up Alexandra’s exposed thigh, her skirt riding up as she lay on the couch in front of him. She felt the tickling sensation constantly rise up, sensing what he was thinking about. She turned her head just enough to see him watching the end of the film with a mischievous smirk, playing that he didn’t notice her looking at him.

She watched intently at his face, still feeling his hand slide up her thigh and underneath her skirt, getting closer and closer to her panties. In retaliation, she turned her head back towards the tv and quickly flung her hand behind her, grasping his nether region.

“HEY!” Tom flinched in surprise, laughing at her groping as he finally looked at her.

“What? You started it.”

Tom growled in response, shoving both his hands underneath her skirt and between her thighs, tickling her violently as she thrashed in response, curling into a fetal position to defend herself. Tom climbed on top of her, allowing him more access to tickle and touch Alexandra, as she screamed out her laughter. “I YIELD!” she screamed out asking for mercy. Tom stopped his attack as he lay on top of her, his chest squeezing her breasts as he stared down.

“You yield?” he huffed breathlessly.

“Yes. You win.”

Tom laughed victoriously, leaning his head down to kiss her lips. Alexandra grasped at his back as his kisses got more passionate. His tongue licked her lip, begging for access which she graciously granted. They both moaned into each other’s mouths, grinding their hips and chest together to create friction and pressure. Alexandra grasped at his midsection with one hand and the back of his neck with the other, rubbing both of her legs against his, essentially clinging to his body. Tom moaned loudly at the wonderful feeling of being grasped and pulled so closely, the feeling making him truly believe he was wanted and desired.

Tom was completely lost in the lustful feeling, so when Alexandra pushed him by surprise, they both rolled off the couch on to the floor with her on top of him. Tom looked up with shock, not expecting the sudden drop. He looked up at the beauty laying on top of him, seeing a wicked grin on her beautiful lips.

“I win.” she said, making him groan after realizing she had been playing him all along. “Now get up. I have a surprise for you upstairs.”

 

* * *

 

“Ok, just stay here until I say you can come in.” Alexandra told Tom as the two stood in front of his bedroom door. Tom nodded in agreement, watching her with curious eyes as she smirked and slid inside. Whatever she was doing in there, she was quiet about it. Not one word or single sound escaped the room, making the wait seem longer than it actually was.

“You can come in now!” she shouted behind the door. Tom opened the door slowly, only to be met with dozens of small candles all over the room, the lights bouncing off the furniture and walls, creating a romantic atmosphere. In front of the bed, pillows of different sizes and shapes were laid out on the floor.

Tom looked around the room, taking in romantic vibe. He panned his gaze to the woman standing next to one of the nightstands, the same woman who had created this amazing surprise for him. “This is amazing. You did all this?”

“I did.” she said proudly. “And that’s not all!” she turned around, facing the nightstand and picking up what seemed like a small, candle operated food burner. Tom walked next to her, curious to see what she was up to. “Tonight, my dear, we begin your first lesson in painting.”

Tom looked at her curiously, not understanding what any of this had to do with painting. “I’m sorry?”

Alexandra looked at him cunningly, smirking at his confused state. “Don’t worry. We’ll start off easy.” she opened the nightstand drawer, picking up a small bowl of powdered mixture of some sort, along with brushes and the main ingredient in the whole scheme – chocolate.

“What on earth…?” he asked with a laugh, slowly understanding what they were about to do. “Are we going to paint with chocolate?”

“That we are, lover boy.” she confirmed, giving a small peck on the lips. “So get undressed and get on the pillows.”

Tom stripped off his clothes and sat on top of the pillows, watching intently as Alexandra brought the setup next to him and slowly warmed the bits of chocolate on the bowl. After liquefying the chocolate mixture, she let it cool while she stripped her clothes. “You ready.”

“Yes.” he smiled, licking his lips as he watched her undress in front of him. “Shame to waist good chocolate, though.” he said absentmindedly.

“Oh don’t worry. You’ll be licking the chocolate away soon.” she winked. Tom stared at her as he finally realized the big picture of the activity.

With lustful, sparkling eyes, Tom looked between her naked form and the chocolate mix. “Can I start?” he asked.

“Sure. Where do you want me?” she flirted with a smile, brushing her hair back as he grabbed a painting brush.

“On your back, please.” His breath became labored as he watched her lay back on the plush cushions, looking like a goddess relaxing on a lazy day. Her hair slightly spread out underneath her and the roundness of her breasts tantalized him, making it hard for him to focus on the task.

“Well…?” she interrupted his dreaming, rubbing his bent knee as he sat next to her.

“Right.” he got to it. He dipped the brush in the cooled chocolate and brought it to her midsection, leaning over her to paint a heart around her bellybutton. “What do you think? Is the chocolate too hot?” he queried.

“No, it’s perfect. You’re a natural.” she replied, lifting her head and admiring his first creation with an enthusiastic giggle.

“Do I get to lick it clean now?” he asked excitedly. With a nod from her, he placed the brush out of the way and lowered his head right on top of the heart. He delicately blew against the chocolate, making her shiver, before placing his tongue and licking the chocolate away excruciatingly slow.

The view of him licking her, as he stared into her eyes was oh so erotic. The moment excited her, creating various images of him staring at her from between her thighs.

Satisfied that she was properly licked clean, he picked up the brush again and painted small flowers and tribal patterns across from her bellybutton to her clavicle. He paid extra attention to the lower part of her breasts and in between the two, but did not paint the nipple area, even though he could see her excitement. Again, he admired his own work, before licking the chocolate away. Alexandra let out subtle moans as he licked her chest, enjoying the delicate attention she was receiving.

She watched intently as he picked up the brush again, painting suns and rays of light over her pebbled nipples and areolas. After painting, he stared down into her eyes, slowly leaning his mouth to her left nipple to lick it. With soft kitten licks, he took his time enjoying the mix of the chocolate and her perky nipple, suckling and nipping at it as she pushed her chest out. Alexandra threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head against her breast, wanting him to keep going for as long as possible.

He turned to her other nipple and imitated the action, making her moan softly. When he pulled off, she whimpered at the loss of stimulation, looking at him pleadingly as he grabbed the brush again. “You’re enjoying this a bit too much.” he snickered, spreading her legs open so he could get closer to her inner thighs.

“Just wait until it’s my turn.” she huffed, her breath accelerating with the anticipation. Tom smiled at her wickedly, lying down on the pillows between her thighs. He spread her left leg out, giving more skin area to work with. Alexandra flinched as he applied the chocolate, the brush tickling the sensitive skin.

All along the length of her inner thigh, he painted images, carefully taking his time to extend the ticklish feeling before slowly licking his way up. He could see the visible wetness on her slit, her small button hardening with the promise of satisfaction. But just half an inch short of hitting her most intimate place, he pulled back with a grin, starting the same process again on her other thigh, much to Alexandra’s frustration.

With naughty eyes, he watched carefully for her expression as he licked her thigh, inching his way up, only to pull back at the last second. Alexandra sat up, her chest rising rapidly. “You. Lay down.” she pointed to where she was laying, as she stood up. Tom laughed at his success for getting her all hot and bothered. “No mercy.” she threatened.

Disregarding the fact that they were supposed to be painting pictures or images, Alexandra, in her hazy, lust filled mind, painted stripes along his neck to his jaw, attacking him immediately with her tongue. She licked the stripes, paying extra attention to his jaw, knowing that was one of his sweet spots. Tom moaned quietly, enjoying her delicate tongue working on him.

Alexandra leaned back away from his jaw, just enough to properly look him in the eyes as he moaned. “Fuck it.” she grabbed the bowl and poured a steady stream of chocolate, straight on to his torso, making a thin line from the bottom of his neck to the bottom of his bellybutton.

“HEY! That’s cheating!” he yelled out laughing, but soon was quieted as Alexandra started licking the sauce off. Tom watched with an open mouth as she made her way down, his excitement clear for anyone to see. His length twitched below her, creating short contacts with her breasts that hung right above him. The leaking tip leaving small wet spots around her chest, as she kept licking lower and lower.

Licking the last of the chocolate off his lower abdomen, she smirked and grabbed his straining cock, brushing the last of the leftover chocolate to the underside of his erection. Tom panted loudly, never witnessing or experiencing such a thing. He grasped at the cushion under him, holding tightly as the two made eye contact, watching deeply into each other’s eyes as she licked the chocolate away.

Tom shivered as Alexandra licked him over and over again, his jaw slack, unable to let out a single peep. “You taste good, baby.” she whispered, still holding him in her hand, licking the tip slowly and giving him a show as she licked his pre-cum away. That was the last straw.

Tom got up onto his knees, pushing her on her back as he crawled on top of her. He invaded her mouth with his tongue, caging her in place as he hunched over her, his arms on either side of her head as he lowered his hips on top of hers. “This is a dangerous game you play, love.” he whispered between sloppy, hasty kisses.

“I don’t care. I want you.” she cradled his head, threading her fingers tightly in his scalp to gain even the slightest bit of control.

Tom wouldn’t have any of it though. He slipped his arms under her slightly bent knees, lifting them next to her torso, to open her up for him. He held her knees up as he slid his hard cock inside her, watching with an open mouth as each inch disappeared inside her.

Alexandra moaned loudly, grabbing one of the pillows above her head and grasping it tightly, her eyes rolling into her head. “Oh my god! TOM!” she cried, feeling the exquisite fullness of him inside her.

Tom pulled back halfway, watching intently at the erotic view. “Fuck…” he let out before pushing all the way back in, making her moan his name again. With vigor, Tom set on a punishing pace, letting his hips do all the work as he grounded himself on his bent knees. “You’re so tight, baby. So wet and warm.” he moaned, thrusting harder and harder, enjoying the amazing pressure that was quickly building in the pit of his stomach.

“Uh-hmm…” she moaned wantonly, reaching for one of his arms that were holding her thighs open, wishing for more skin-on-skin contact as she rubbed him. Tom let go of one of her legs, lifting the other one over his shoulder as he bent over, kissing her lips as he reached her.

The new, deeper angle allowed him to hit her g-spot deliciously, rubbing her over and over again, until her thighs and lower abs were trembling with pressure. Tom held the back of her neck as he watched her tremble. Her breathing became short and shallow as she took ahold of his arms, her vaginal muscles gripping him ever so tightly as she stilled.

Alexandra’s face went ridged, before her entire body burst into multiple strong spasms. Tom felt her grip his length, feeling the rhythmic contractions clamping on him. A sudden gush flowed through her as she convulsed, making her look like she was possessed. She twitched violently, the increased wetness and grip on him, bringing him into completion suddenly and unexpectedly.

His eyes pressed tightly together, yelling his release as he twitched and spasmed, gripping her leg to stabilize himself while he finished pumping his hot seed inside her. He slowly let go of her leg, dropping down on top of her sweaty, still twitching body as they both breathed heavily.

Tom listened to the soft whimpers she was making next to his ear, unable to do anything else than just lay there on top of her, groaning and panting in sweet euphoria.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't be fooled by the sweetness in the beginning. Here there be feels!

Alexandra felt the gentlest of touches as a hand with long slender fingers slid up and down her back and shoulder blades. She slowly but surely inched her way back from unconsciousness, hearing the subtle palpitation of a heart beating underneath her head. Flexing her fingers, she felt smooth skin underneath her tips, the solid muscle raising and lowering in rhythm.

“Welcome back.” a soft, deep voice greeted her. She felt the vibrations of his voice resonate deep within his chest. “How do you feel?”

Alexandra lifted her drowsy head to look at the man who had just mere minutes ago, brought her to the precipice of madness. He looked at her with a tired smile, the hand on her back lifting up to brush her hair away from her eyes. “Exhausted.” she replied.

“Yeah.” he agreed, kissing her sweat covered forehead. Alexandra rested her head back against his chest, listening him breathing in and out as he continued rubbing and trailing her back with his delicate fingers.

Alexandra looked around where they were laying, witnessing the slight disarray they had caused due to their vigorous activity. With clarity, she suddenly lifted her head off of Tom’s chest, surprising him with new found energy.

“My muscles are really sore, Tom. Did I, umm…” she blushed, trying to figure out if she did in fact experience the mysterious orgasm.

“Hmm?” he looked at her curiously.

“Did I… you know…” she hinted, a blush due to the embarrassment, crept upon her cheeks. She lowered her hand to her pubic area, looking around for any evidence of her sudden gush. Tom watched her hand as it slowly trailed down, finally realizing what she was trying to say.

He grinned proudly at her, smugly rubbing his body against the pillows they were still laying on. “You did, and it was glorious, my darling.” Alexandra groaned as she shifted away on to the floor. “You were so incredibly gorgeous as you trembled. You took me right down with you, it was that amazing.” He turned on his side, trailing his hand up and down her extended leg, kissing her thigh as he admired her. “Don’t worry, love. I took care of everything while you were passed out.”

“How long was I passed out!?” she asked startled.

“Less than fifteen minutes.” he replied sweetly.

Alexandra nodded, breathing in a long sigh as she stretched her arms and scratched her hair. “I could use a hot bath right about now.” she looked down at the naked man next to her.

“Yeah. With lots of bubbles?” he replied, liking her idea.

“That sounds nice.” she leaned down, kissing his lips as he kept rubbing her back affectionately.

“I’ll go make us a bath while you open a window and blow out the candles.” he kissed her sensually and stretched his legs and arms. Alexandra watched with a smile and a sigh, as Tom slowly walked to the bathroom in all his naked glory. She paid extra attention to his perfectly sculpted backside, as the pure muscle there shifted with each step.

“Oh my god what a great ass that man has.” she mumbled to herself in awe, before getting on with her task.

 

* * *

 

The two sat quietly as they relaxed in the warm, bubbly water. Alexandra sat with her back leaning against Tom’s chest, relaxing to the affectionate feeling of him nuzzling her temple with his nose. 

“We should do this more often.” she sighed with her eyes closed, slowly sinking deeper into the water and wetting her long hair.

“Absolutely.” Tom sighed in response, lifting his legs up one at a time, stretching them deliciously as the joints popped and cracked.

“You ok?” she asked as she trailed her hand along his exposed leg. She felt the smooth, tight muscles of a runner’s leg.

“I’m fine, just a lot of leg work lately is all.” he groaned.

Alexandra leaned forward and changed positions, moving to the opposite end of the bath. She took ahold of the foot she was currently admiring at. She leaned against the tub, placing his foot on her lap and slowly massaging it with her thumbs.

Tom groaned with the exquisite feeling, closing his eyes as he relaxed deeper into the water. “You’re a goddess.” he moaned in bliss, making her laugh happily. She took her time, repeating the action on his other foot, making her feel happy that she was bringing him so much pleasure.

“Yes. Definitely need to do this more often.” he groaned, sinking his tall body into the water. “That feels so good, baby.”

  

* * *

 

The two finished bathing a short while after. Tom took the extra time to wash his love’s hair and massage her scalp, thanking her for the lovely foot massage. While waiting for her hair to dry before going to bed, the two went downstairs to get a light midnight snack. The vigorous activity making them both slightly peckish.

The couple sat on their favorite seats in the kitchen, peeling various fruits as they talked to pass the time. “Isn’t it weird that just a short while ago, we spent the whole night at the diner just eating and talking? Just like this?” Alexandra reminisced with a tired smile.

“It really feels like it was ages ago, doesn’t it?” he laughed softly. “God, I was so infatuated with you.” he confessed with a sweet smile.

“Really?” she asked surprised. She slowly picked at the orange in her hand, taking it into her mouth and sucking its juice, shying away from Tom’s sudden confession. He nodded slightly, watching her face as she slowly fell into reminisce. “Why?”

Tom took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “I thought you were beautiful.” he paused to let out a shaky breath, laughing slightly at the boyish crush. “I don’t really know what it was to be quite honest. I watched you dance and laugh with your friends, so full of life and so carefree.” he smiled. He leaned his elbows and forearms on the table, looking at her with happy eyes. Alexandra blushed, but didn’t interrupt. “Seeing you happy, right there at that moment… It just made me happy.”

Alexandra nodded in thought, trying to think what she should say and how in response. “Are you happy now?” she asked in a quiet, serious tone.

“Yes.” he said simply. He took a hold of her free hand, rubbing her knuckles affectionately. “I know we still have plenty to talk about and we both need to do a lot of thinking, regarding this relationship and how this is going to work out, but in all honesty, I love knowing that you are here waiting for me when I come home in the evening. The feeling when I walk through that door and see you standing there with a smile… It…” he sighed deeply, trying to explain all the millions of thoughts and emotions in his mind and heart, “I feel so happy and so loved and wanted when I see you here expecting me.”

Alexandra watched him with happy eyes, listening attentively to every single word he said. She leaned down on the table, grabbing his hand that had been rubbing hers, and affectionately kissed it. But there was a sense of darkness around Alexandra at that precise moment. She was deep in thought as the silence between them grew with each new second that passed.

“What’s on your mind, love?” Tom asked, feeling concern with her quiet behavior. Alexandra fidgeted in her seat, tapping her fingertips against the table nervously, as she leaned back again. “Please, tell me.”

Alexandra pulled her arms back, placing them on her lap as she rocked in her chair, looking away from Tom and out the window at the darkness. Tom grew nervous at the seemingly sudden change in her demeanor.

“Do you think this is going a bit too fast, Tom? I mean, we barely even know each oth-“

“Just stop!” Tom interjected suddenly, surprising Alexandra. He leaned back in his chair, his face projecting clearly the frustration he felt inside due to her negative outlook. “What are you so afraid of? Every time we talk about us, you go quiet and fall into some sort of depression. Can’t you for once, just be happy and think positively about our situation?”

Alexandra stared at him speechless, not knowing how to respond to his accusation. “I just told you that I’m happy. I want you here with me. I want to spend as much time with you as humanly possible, because I love you. You are so smart, so funny and incredibly beautiful, and I can’t stop thinking about you whenever we’re apart. Why on earth are you so miserable? Aren’t you happy?”

“I AM NOT MISERABLE!” she yelled out in anger, letting out the nasty emotions she was feeling inside.

“THEN WHAT IS IT!?” he shouted back in frustration.

“I…I…” she tried to explain but couldn’t get herself to start. Tom got out of his seat, clutching his hair in annoyance as his adrenalin made him pace back and forth next to the table.

“TELL ME!”

“ALRIGHT! Alright… it’s just that…” she sighed in defeat. “I’m not good with relationships, Tom. I’ve only ever been with one person, and it didn’t end well.” she peeped quietly, catching him off guard.

“You don’t have to be good. Relationships aren’t a skill you master.” he told her while standing next to her. Alexandra felt slightly ashamed for creating such a huge argument. She looked slowly up at the man next to her, carefully turning in her seat to face him.

“Did something bad happen?” he sighed, the anger in him diminishing now that she was finally opening up to him. She nodded slightly, the hair falling in front of her eyes masking her reddening, teary face.

Tom watched as the first tears started trailing down her cheeks behind her hair. He sighed feeling guilty that he pushed her too far and hoped she wouldn’t start crying hysterically. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” he bent down, squatting in front of her so he would be at the same level as her. He brushed her hair away with his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “Will you tell me what happened?” Alexandra nodded in response, sniffing her tears away. “Yes?”

“Yes.” she agreed. “Could you sit back down?” He complied, sitting across her and quietly waiting for her to start.

Alexandra ran her fingers through her hair, thinking hard how to begin her story. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Some time ago, I was with a guy called Sammy, who I started dating in college.” Tom listened intently to her story, gazing strait at her face with undivided attention. “Everything seemed to be going great and we were very much in love.”

“What happened?” Tom asked concerned, but still trying to keep himself unattached.

“Well… One day, I came home after a spontaneous three day road trip with some friends, and umm…” she hesitated, “he… he was always a bit jealous, even though I never gave him any reason to be.”

Tom sat on the edge of his seat, focusing solely on her story as he leaned his elbows on the table. “Did he hurt you?”

“He wasn’t a violent person by nature. He never laid a hand on me before, but as I said, he had always been jealous.”

“What did he do, Alexandra?” Tom raised his voice, wanting her to continue and not get sidetracked.

 “Well, we had a heated argument, objects got broken and there was a huge mess on the floor, but umm…”

“Go on.”

“He hit me and I fell onto the floor. He got on top of me and pushed my face against some shards of glass.” she finally admitted in disgust. “That’s how I got the scar on my eyebrow.”

“Did he abuse you… sexually?” he asked horrified.

“No, thank god. Looking back at it now, I don’t think he meant to hurt me. I guess it was just a temper tantrum. We broke up then and there, so when he came back to collect his stuff, he did seem very remorseful about what had happened.” she replied almost nonchalantly. With tired eyes she smiled at Tom, trying to keep a strong front and not start crying again.

“But that’s not an excuse.” he pleaded.

“I know it’s not, but I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t thought about slapping someone in a fit of rage myself at times.” Alexandra laughed desperately, trying hard to keep her uneasiness at bay. “I guess I’m just a bit cautious and cynical about relationships, these days. I just don’t want to get hurt again by someone I love so much. You’re the first person I’ve felt as comfortable with since then, and I’m so scared to be hurt again.”

“I would never hurt you, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that… being treated the way he treated me, made me feel so worthless. It took me a long time to get over it, and that night, the night before you left me, I was so terrified that if I had left with you, you would get bored with me and cast me aside.”

“No, I would never cast you aside my love.” he caressed her hand gently, trying to convince her. “But you did come. What made you change your mind?”

“The diner, the museums, the dancing, everything we did together. All of it. All of you and the way you treated me. You made me feel happy and cherished again. And even though I’m constantly scared that you’ll throw me away, I know that if I didn’t try to make this work and try to keep you happy, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”

“I’ll never throw you away, I promise you that. You are so strong and good, but you need to realize that you can’t let fear control you.” he pleaded. “It’s alright to be scared, but you need to let yourself fall in love again and let yourself be loved.”

“I know. And I do want that with you. I really do.”

Tom smiled, feeling so happy that she finally confided in him and told him her darkest secret. The fact that she did want him, pushed any doubt he had about her love away. “Will you stay with me? Here, in London? Please?” he begged.

Alexandra stared at him, contemplating on what to do. “Let me think about it for a few days. Okay?” she asked hesitantly.

Tom exhaled disappointedly. He knew it was a lot to ask, but he had hoped she would say yes immediately, now that they had gotten all of their emotions sorted out. “Of course. I’m sorry that I pushed you like that. I just really needed to know, if you still want me like I still want you.”

Alexandra smiled at him sweetly, the love he had for her shined through even in the dimmest of situations. “Of course I still want you, Tom. I love you.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, about 98.9 % of this chapter is just smut. Veeery little amount of plot.

The two accordingly kissed and made up after their strenuous discussion at the table. Tom, even though it pained him, promised to let Alexandra have some space in regards to her decision whether to stay or not. Tom was slightly hurt by her not giving him an answer straight away, but understood that she had other responsibilities she needed to take in consideration.

The couple fell asleep exhausted by the earlier work-out and the heated discussion thereafter, cuddling comfortably in each other’s arms as they both rested their tired minds and bodies. It was a good thing that now everything was out in the open. Tom understood Alexandra’s motives and behavior during the last few weeks, the information of her mistreatment inspiring him to treat her with more care and consideration.

He woke up lying on his back, his naked chest exposed as Alexandra still slept next to him. The sleeping beauty slept on her side facing him, her whole body, save for her head, cocooned inside the duvet. He watched longingly at the woman he so loved and cherished, as she breathed in and out in a steady rhythm. He reached out for his phone that sat on top of his nightstand and took a picture of the serene woman. He smiled at the perfect picture, setting it as his phone’s wallpaper.

“Did you just take a photo of me?” a groggy voice mumbled. Tom looked away from his phone, smiling sweetly at the slowly waking beauty.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” he apologized softly, leaning forward and lying on his side facing her, burrowing underneath the covers and wrapping his arm around her waist.

“That’s alright,” she yawned still sleepy, “I don’t mind.” Tom inched closer to her, laying dozens of small kisses and pecks on her sweet lips, wishing her a good morning. “Someone’s in a good mood this morning.” she whispered.

Tom looked at her with loving eyes, taking the chance to imprint this moment into his mind. “I’m sorry for the way I acted last night.” he apologized, referring to his yelling.

“Don’t be.” she whispered, grasping his head with her hand, rubbing her thumb on his sharp cheekbone. “I’m the one that should be apologizing. I’m sorry for not telling you and for holding back all the happiness you so deserve.”

Tom sighed deeply. He was so happy that she finally was free of her past and willing to share her deepest feelings, without being haunted by bad memories. “Now hush darling, we’ll have none of that right now. It’s good that everything is out in the open, but let’s just enjoy our time together.” he nuzzled her nose, making her giggle at his silliness.

“I love you.” she admitted to him, pulling his forehead against hers.

“I love you too.” he kissed her lips passionately, massaging his thin lips against her plump ones. With his tongue, he licked both of her lips, begging for entrance, as he placed his hands on the back of her thick hair, threading his long fingers through it, pulling her closer to the heated kiss.  “Let’s spend the day here. In bed.” he proposed as he pulled back from the kiss.

“All day?” she laughed.

“Yes, all day.” he kissed her neck. “Just like this.” kiss, “only allowed to leave for food.” he spread dozens of small licks and kisses on her neck and face. “I want to spend all day loving you.”

Alexandra laid back in sublime bliss at his adoration, enjoying the romance he radiated from his body to hers. “Come here.” she begged, pulling him slowly on top of her. Alexandra lifted her arms, up facing her palms against the headboard, giving Tom access to every inch he desired.

Tom snaked his hands up and down her tank top covered body, slowly lifting up the hem of the top to remove it from her beautiful chest, only leaving her in her hiphugger panties.  He trailed slow little nips and kisses from her chin downwards, paying a little extra time on her sensitive nipples as he went lower and lower. “God, you’re so beautiful.” he murmured against her bellybutton, rubbing his cheek against her smooth skin. Alexandra’s chest rose faster as the anticipation caused her to breath heavier. She closed her eyes and licked her lips like a starving woman, so close to her prize of bliss. She moaned softly, grasping at the sheet under her as she felt his fingers rub her inner thighs.

He continued, kissing her panty line, right underneath her bellybutton, smirking at her as he watched her face. “Look at me, love.” he asked, resting his head on her hip as he waited for her. Alexandra sighed before opening her lust filled eyes. “I want you to watch.” he whispered.

Alexandra’s breath hitched as she watched him rub her moist panties. His two long fingers slid back and forth on the damp material as he kissed her hips and tummy. He stared at her eyes, hungry to devour her whole being as she watched him with pleading eyes. He tucked his fingers underneath the panties, slowly peeling them off her heaving body. “Up.” he whispered, sliding the garment down with ease as she lifted her hips, throwing them away from his sight. He laid back on top of her, straddling her thigh as he kissed her deeply with open eyes, rubbing her outer lips with his fingers. “You’re so wet.” he whispered against her lips between heavy kisses, licking her lush lips as his fingers kept massaging her at a slow pace.

“Only for you.” she huffed breathlessly, making him smile. Alexandra pressed his hand harder against herself, closing her legs to keep his hand tightly secure. “Don’t stop. I want more.” Tom’s jaw slacked with lustful awe, rubbing his clothed hardness against her thigh.

“As you wish, my siren.” he breathed into her mouth with a final nip on her lips. With ravenous appetite, he suddenly opened her thighs apart, exposing her most intimate area to him. She watched him crawl lower with pure desire, her eyes connecting with his as the fire in his eyes burned brightly and all inhibition disappeared from their hearts.

“Remember, love. Eyes on me.” and with a nod from the beauty beneath him, he kissed her exposed lips, spreading his desire with loving licks around her moist slit. Alexandra moaned with satisfaction when she felt him spread her inner lips and lick her aroused nub.

She kept her promise to him. She stared at his eyes as he pressed the flat of his tongue against her, his nose rubbing against her mound while he circled and sucked her clit with fervor.  “Tom.” she moaned wantonly without restraint, enjoying the feeling of his hands massaging her thighs as his tongue vibrated at her most sensitive spot. Her eyes rolled back against her head, her back bowing as she nibbled at her own lower lip.

Tom pulled back, much to Alexandra’s annoyance. “Tom? Please don’t stop.” she begged. “It feels so good.”

“You taste so good, baby.” he retorted huskily, kissing her lips for her to taste her own essence, before continuing giving her, her pleasure. Tom lifted her legs up against her chest, bending her nearly in half as he picked up the pace on her clit, dipping down to her entrance to lick up her juice.

Tom entered one of his long nimble fingers, massaging her wet tunnel with a come-hither motion as he flicked his thumb against her clit. Alexandra grasped at the sheets, the exquisite stroking and rubbing of her pleasure center inside her, made her breathe like she had just run a marathon. “Keep going.” she whined with a shudder, her whole body readying for what was to come.

“Come for me.” he said, replacing his thumb with his mouth, moaning slightly to create vibrations. He added another finger inside her, mercilessly thrusting in and out as her body shook with anticipation.

“Oh my god… Tom!” she cried out with her release, shuddering as she convulsed exquisitely. Tom felt her walls suck his fingers with force, wishing he had been inside her as her muscles contracted so deliciously. Her heaving body relaxed with endorphins as she laid back relaxed again.

Tom removed his boxers as Alexandra enjoyed the last of her shudders. His erect length gushed with his own arousal as he watched her intently, spreading it all over as he pumped his cock languidly.

After finishing her shuddering, she watched fixedly at the sex god in front of her, his hand pleasuring his manhood slowly but steadily. Alexandra got up and kissed him, tasting her release in his mouth as she grasped his erection. “Lay down, Thomas. Please?” she begged with urgency.

He complied, doing everything she asked of him, like a slave accepting his mistress’ command.

Lying back, he watched with dewy-eyes as his love laid on top of his legs, kissing his hips and thighs as she cupped his sack. Tom growled at the small licks and nips when she paid attention to the base of his cock, the hardness pointing straight up at attention with pure lust.

She grasped him at the base, slowly pumping his foreskin up over the tip and back down, creating a teasing rhythm. Tom grasped her hand that was pumping him, tightening her grip and speeding up her tempo. “Please, Alexandra, don’t tease. I can’t bare it.”

Alexandra nodded, kissing his hip for forgiveness. She pulled the foreskin back, exposing his wet, leaking tip. She kissed the liquid pearls away, a small strand trailing from her lip to his tip as she pulled back. Tom watched the erotic view closely, her lips licking him was truly a sight he wished he could see on a regular basis in the future.

He sighed heavily, pushing his head back against the pillow when she finally took him into her mouth. Bobbing her head slowly up and down, Alexandra pumped the exposed part of his long cock, while her other hand rubbed his heavy balls. The massage he received from her felt heavenly. The compulsive feeling of wanting to hold her closer and buck into her warm, wet mouth was maddening.

With his very vocal moans, gasps and praises, Alexandra sped up her sucking, inching lower and lower with each bob of her head. She kept massaging his tight sack, carefully adventuring lower to his perineum. Tom’s breath hitched at the new surprising sensation, looking down at her face only to be met with her eyes looking up at his in a questioning manner.

Tom nodded slightly with a warm smile, giving her permission to continue rubbing the newly found sensitive patch of skin. His balls and base of his cock visibly tightened, enjoying the stimulation her delicate fingers were creating. But Alexandra’s curiosity peaked at that moment.

Tom was too busy enjoying her mouth and the intimate massage to notice, that Alexandra dipped her fingers between her thighs, gathering her wetness there. She brought her fingers back, but this time, circled his small puckered hole. She watched for his reaction, wondering how he would react.

Tom felt the slightest pressure of something rubbing at his entrance. He opened his eyes with panicked surprise, looking down at the wide eyed girl who’s mount was still full of him. His chest heaved as he leaned on his elbows, wondering what she was up to.

Alexandra pulled her mouth away from his length, continuing pumping it as she kept circling and massaging his hole. “Does this make you uncomfortable?” she asked with genuine concern.

“I don’t know… I’m not sure.” he heaved in confusion.

“Alright.” she nodded with a smile and removed her finger, placing it pack on his perineum, where she managed to pleasure him earlier.

“Wait.” he halted her hand by grasping it. At that moment, she stopped everything she was currently doing, waiting for him to direct her. “Your finger? It’s alright, you may continue. Just don’t push it in. Not yet, at least.”

“As you wish.” she smiled lovingly with a whisper. She continued her circling as she placed her mouth on him again. The dual sensation made Tom gasp and heave, his abs shaking furiously as Alexandra bobbed faster. She sensed his impending release, doing everything she could to make him feel good.

Alexandra moaned, the vibrations tingling his twitching manhood, making Tom whine and buck up into her mouth. When his thighs shook, Alexandra sucked him as deep as she could, bringing Tom to his release. He groaned with satisfaction as he released stream after stream inside her mouth, completely enjoying the moment she had created for him.

With a soft pop and intake of breath, Alexandra lifted her mouth off of him, licking the side of his still erect length, cleaning any leftover come. She removed her finger that had been circling him, bringing both hands up to his chest as she laid on top of his chest. She giggled at the blissful face he had on, kissing his neck and side of his face as he floated in ecstasy.

“You ok?” she asked jokingly, watching attentively at his face.

Tom nodded with a wide grin and a sigh, circling her waist with his arms and hugging her closely. “That was amazing. Thank you.”

“The pleasure was all mine.” she flirted with a kiss, bringing her fingers to his hair as they nuzzled intimately. “I hope I didn’t scare you with the whole finger thing?”

“Scared? No. But I definitely wasn’t expecting it.” he answered truthfully, but positively. “Actually… I think I could go for another round.” he smirked slyly, bringing the currently discarded duvet over them both, shielding them from  the light as he jumped on top of her, making her giggle hysterically.

 

* * *

 

The couple’s quiet cuddling, after their extensive fuck-a-thon, was soon disturbed by the loud rumbling of one Thomas Hiddleston’s hungry tummy. Alexandra, who was currently laying half on top of Tom, lifted her head up to meet his gaze. The two burst out laughing in unison, the lighthearted moment lifting both of their spirits that had been slightly trampled over the previous night. 

“I’ll go and make us something to snack on.” she kissed him and crawled off the bed, walking downstairs buck naked.

“Oooh. Are we recreating a scene from the naked chef?” he flirted with a smirk as he followed her downstairs.

Alexandra laughed at his flirting, enjoying the fact that they both were comfortable enough to walk around the house nude. Tom wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning against her back as she faced the counter. “My god… you don’t give up, do you?” she played when she felt him rub himself against her cushy backside.

“Nope.” he kissed her neck, trailing his hands up and down her thighs as he slowly humped her butt. “I just can’t get enough of you, my dear.”

“I can see that.” she laughed, turning around to face him. She placed her hands around his neck as he dipped down to kiss her, his arms grasping at her behind and lifting it to the counter. “Hey! Live meat off the counter!” she tried to say sternly, but was ignored by the ever horny man who kept her immobile.

Alexandra soon gave up the fight and surrendered to his will, completely letting him explore her body with his hands and mouth. She moaned with the attention, enjoying his complete devotion as they held each other.

“THOMAS!?” a voice screamed from the kitchen doorway, scaring the couple and making Alexandra scream in surprise.

“MUM!?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this continues immediately after the last chapter, where a nekkid Tom and Alexandra were scared to death by mum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The people mentioned in this story, are 100 % fictional... Aside from their names that is... I'm sure mama H. doesn't actually behave or talk like this.
> 
> Oh, by the way, thank you all for the kudos! They are very much appreciated!

_Alexandra soon gave up the fight and surrendered to his will, completely letting him explore her body with his hands and mouth. She moaned with the attention, enjoying his complete devotion as they held each other._

_“THOMAS!?” a voice screamed from the kitchen doorway, scaring the couple and making Alexandra scream in surprise._

_“MUM!?”_

 

”What in heavens are you doing naked with that woman? And in the kitchen?!” Diana asked gob smacked, completely inconsiderate of the fact that the two were nude and embarrassed.

“MUM! What are you doing here?!” Tom yelled annoyed and shocked, hinting that she should leave the room, as he tried his best to hide Alexandra’s nude form.

“Well, since you’ve been in London for a week and still haven’t come and see your poor mother,” she sighed disappointedly and overly dramatic, “I came to see you. But it seems as though, you are currently occupied. Hello there, dearie.” she shifted to the side, trying to catch a glance at the girl hiding behind her son.

“Hi.” Alexandra peeped shyly.

“MUM! Could you please give us a minute!” Tom shouted aggravated, still holding and hiding Alexandra.

“Fine, fine.” she sighed, stomping away. “I’ll be in the drawing room.”

 

* * *

 

“So, that was your mom?” Alexandra asked nervously as the two got dressed in Tom’s bedroom.

Tom sighed loudly in frustration, feeling so ashamed that his mother caught them in such a compromising situation. “Yeah. She does that sometimes.” he said, pulling up his jeans. “Are you alright?”

“Other than the fact that I feel unbelievably humiliated, I’m great.” she sassed, buttoning up her pants and putting on her t-shirt. “It’s not exactly the way I’d hoped it would go.”

“That what would go?” he asked confused.

“Meeting your mother. Or any family member for that matter.” she replied with small smile.

Tom stared at her, hoping she was hinting about her final decision. “You want to meet my family?” he asked astounded but happily, hoping secretly that she would want to stay here and be a part of his life.

“Well, yeah.” she shrugged her shoulder, her smile widening with joy as she looked at the happy man in front of her.

“So you…?” he staggered, “Are-are you saying… you want to-“ he stuttered, but Alexandra interrupted him with a kiss. Tom smiled as her lips crashed onto his, tasting her sweet lips. The most perfect lips, which were created for him and only him. The pheromones in the air got him high as he smelled her scent, grasping her soft, thick hair like he never wanted to let her go.

Alexandra pulled back with half lidded eyes, smiling softly at the man who was madly in love with her. “We’ll talk about it later.” she assured him with a wink. “Now let’s go and meet your mother.”

 

* * *

 

Tom led Alexandra downstairs with his hand grasping at hers, quietly sneaking to the living room like a couple of silent teenagers, who wished to be hidden. Tom and Alexandra entered the room, staring at the silver haired, intimidating woman, reading a magazine on the plushy armchair next to the tv. “Took you long enough.” she said still reading her magazine. She slowly lifted her face, looking over her reading glasses as she inspected the awkward lovers.

Diana rose from the chair, looking at Tom expectantly. Tom let go of Alexandra’s hand, coming forth and hugging his mother that he hadn’t seen for a while. “Mum, this is Alexandra.” he introduced while pulling away from the hug. “She’s been staying with me for a while.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hiddleston.” Alexandra smiled, offering her hand. Diana watched her intently, studying the woman that clearly was more than just an acquaintance.

“Please, call me Diana. I haven’t been Mrs. Hiddleston in years.” she pointed out harshly. Alexandra let out a nervous laugh, not really knowing how to respond, other than to repeat the name. Diana smiled widely, making both Tom and Alexandra a bit uncomfortable. “Now, let me look at you.” she took a hold of Alexandra’s hands, looking at her up and down. “You are a pretty one, aren’t you?” she commented. Alexandra stared at Tom who stood next to them in complete silence. She smiled, thanking Diana for the complement. “Yes, very pretty indeed. You must be very popular with the boys.” she remarked snidely, but with an obviously fake complementary manner.

“Mum.” Tom warned, receiving him a scary look from his mother. He cleared his throat, stepping down and flashing her an apologetic look. “Alexandra is an art teacher. She’s from Los Angeles.” he tried to dissolve the tension in the air, trying to find something, anything they both would have in common. “Alexandra, mum here used to be an arts administrator. She introduced me to the theater, when I was young. She loves the arts just as much as I do, if not even more.” he said excitedly.

Alexandra went along, trying to be positive in this unusual situation. “Really?” she said excitedly. “Tom and I share a mutual love for the arts. I absolutely love paintings and poetry.” she continued. “But you must be so proud of your son? He’s really made a name for himself.” she complemented her.

“Yes he has, hasn’t he?” she softly tapped her son’s cheek proudly. “He has come such a long way. And now, he’s able to enjoy the finer things in life.” she turned back to her.

Alexandra had a very bad, sinking feeling about this. She knew mothers have a tendency to be overly protective of their sons, so she accepted the fact that she may seem like a threat. Alexandra smile widely, agreeing to what Diana said about Tom, not letting her subtle hinting crawl underneath her skin.

“So…” Tom continued, ending the short uncomfortable silence. “How have you been?” he asked, offering her a seat. Alexandra sat next to Tom on the couch, watching as the two shared greetings.

“Oh, you know me…” she laughed happily, “Knitting and reading, per usual.”

Tom laughed, happy that his elderly mother was still in good health and spirit. “How goes the ladies’ knitting club?” he indulged her.

“Fine, fine. Just us hens chatting away. By the way, your sister is keen on seeing you. Perhaps you could spare some of your…” she slowly turned her head towards Alexandra. “valuable time?”

“Of course. I’ll call her as soon as possible.” he assured her.

“Or, since it’s late enough in the afternoon, how about we all go out for lunch?” she clapped cheerfully. “I’m sure she’ll want to meet you, my dear.” she tapped at Alexandra’s hands that currently laid on her lap.

Alexandra and Tom stared at each other speechless, the idea presenting itself a little too fast for comfort. Tom looked back and forth, babbling as he tried to form a coherent sentence to decline.

“Oh, I don’t know if we should.” Alexandra answered hastily, looking at Tom for help. “Tom said he got a bit of a scolding from Luke, the last time we went out.”

“Nonsense!” she huffed. “I’m sure we can find a suitable, quiet place for lunch. Isn’t that right, darling?” Tom nodded, deciding not to defy his mother’s wishes. “Fantastic, then it’s settled. I suggest the two of you dress in something a little more appropriate.”

 

* * *

 

“Does my dress look ok, Tom?” Alexandra asked as the party of three entered the fancy restaurant. Little had she known, the ‘suitable, quiet place for lunch’, was actually a very posh one, by her standards at least. Alexandra ran her fingers through her hair, trying to look a bit more presentable among the other fashionable patrons.

“You look beautiful. Stop stressing.” he smiled, kissing her forehead to calm her down. The party was led to their table, where they were met with two ladies, instead of one.

“Sarah? I didn’t know you were in town. Why doesn’t anyone ever call me?” Diana sighed annoyed, hugging her eldest.

“Hi-ya.” Tom greeted his sisters with affectionate hugs, smiling happily that he finally managed to meet up with his family. Alexandra stood behind Tom, watching the family spread the love she never received growing up. The family dynamics seemed completely foreign to her. But she was happy for him. He was clearly very close to his own family, laughing and talking about their own inside jokes and discussions.

“Well come on, dearie.” Diana gestured to Alexandra, asking her to come closer. “Sara, Emma, this is Tom’s new… uh…”she stumbled, looking at her with raised eyebrows. Alexandra froze, not really knowing how to respond. In reality, she and Tom hadn’t discussed about their ‘relationship titles’. In fact, they never even thought about coming out as a couple in the first place.

“Uh…” Tom mumbled as he stared between his mum and her. “Girlfriend? I guess?” he shrugged, asking for confirmation from Alexandra.

“Girlfriend.” she shrugged in confusion.

“Well, let’s just call her a friend for now.” Diana casually ignored the two.

 

* * *

 

The luncheon seemed to go rather smoothly for Alexandra. The focus was mostly on Tom, as his sisters shared embarrassing stories and details about Tom’s childhood and teenage years, making Alexandra feel more comfortable in the stressing situation. Diana of course, kept a keen eye on the girl, observing every single movement and comment she made, trying to figure out who this mysterious, foreign new girl in her son’s life was.

The sisters seemed to be much more accepting to the girl, much to Tom’s relief. In fact, Alexandra and Emma, who were born only a year apart, seemed to share many common interest. The two giggled together, playing jokes on the handsome man.

Tom watched with joy, feeling happy that she was able to make friends and feel comfortable with his family. The idea of having her in various family gatherings set his heart and dreams on fire, igniting hopes that she would be there with him at his side.

“Mum.” he whispered discreetly to the lady next to him. “Please be nice to her. I really like her.”

“What do you mean?” she asked dramatically, as if she didn’t know what he was referring to. “She’s a lovely girl. I have no reason to be unkind to her.” she sipped her wine, slightly offended at his insinuation. Tom nodded and apologized, continuing his daydreaming as he watched the beautiful lady in front of him.

 

* * *

 

The group of five ended up back at Tom’s house, after he let it slip that Alexandra was an exquisite chef. Diana jumped right in after hearing this, demanding that Alexandra should give them a taste of something sweet for dessert. Alexandra, wanting to impress the important people in her love’s life, agreed to show what she was made of. She knew of course, that no matter what she did, mother Hiddleston would critic it down to the ground. But she thought that if she could at least get the two sisters on her side, she would succeed in her challenge. And that is what indeed happened.

The group sat around the dining room table, finishing up their desserts as they talked about Sarah’s new projects and Emma’s new roles. The couple had made it obvious to the sisters, that there was something romantic going on between the two. Tom had his arm around Alexandra’s shoulders, twirling a loose strand of hair with his finger as Alexandra rubbed his knee affectionately.

As the conversation was dying down, the sisters and Diana moved to the living room to relax, as Alexandra, accompanied by Tom, cleared the table.

“Everything seems to be going well, don’t you think?” Tom asked positively.

Alexandra sighed, releasing some of the tension she had been experiencing the whole afternoon. “Under the circumstances, I’d say yes.” she laughed with relief. Tom kissed her yearningly, now that the two finally had a quiet moment together. “Mm. You have chapped lips, baby.”

“Well, I guess you’re just so sweet that you dehydrate me.” he joked, leaning his forehead against hers, as he looked into her eyes. “D’you have any lip balm?”

“In my purse.” she smiled, catching a final small peck as he left.

Alexandra finished the rest of the dishes, joining the group in the living room that were currently watching television and chatting. Alexandra joined Emma in her discussion about the downfall of standards in current programming.

“Alexandra?” Tom called out, walking from the hallway into the living room, standing just under the doorway with a business card in his hand. “Who’s Daniel Braddock and why do you have his card in your purse?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter follows Tom, as he finds that pesky card. After the first cut, the story continues where the last chapter ended.

_Alexandra sighed, releasing some of the tension she had been experiencing the whole afternoon. “Under the circumstances, I’d say yes.” she laughed with relief. Tom kissed her yearningly, now that the two finally had a quiet moment together. “Mm. You have chapped lips, baby.”_

_“Well, I guess you’re just so sweet that you dehydrate me.” he joked, leaning his forehead against hers, as he looked into her eyes. “D’you have any lip balm?”_

_“In my purse.” she smiled, catching a final small peck as he left._

 

 With the sweet taste of her lips still imprinted on his, Tom went on with his search for the lip balm. He dug around the beige hobo bag, searching for the small stick of lip relief, surrounded by a mound of stuff. “The inside of a woman’s bag truly is a thing to be reckoned with.” he mumbled in thought. He searched through the small pockets inside, coming up with fascinating items that he’d never thought of finding in a woman’s bag.

 “Nope… not that.” he muttered going through the bag. “tissue… lipstick… ooh, mints… feminine product, better not touch that… what?” he found something very peculiar indeed. A white business card, to be precise. “Daniel Braddock? National Portrait Gallery?”

 He stopped going through the bag, completely fixated on the small, insignificant little object, which, despite its size and simplicity, still halted him with its power. “Who the fuck is Daniel Braddock?” he mumbled, walking away from the bag.

 

* * *

  

_“Alexandra?” Tom called out, walking from the hallway into the living room, standing just under the doorway with a business card in his hand. “Who’s Daniel Braddock and why do you have his card in your purse?”_

 

 Alexandra stared wide eyed at Tom, frozen by the might of that little business card he twirled in his hands. Tom looked at the card intently, trying to figure out who this man was and why she had his card. Alexandra got up silently, walking the few feet between them as he stood at the doorway, leaving the rest of the family to their own devices.

 “What is this?” he asked her quietly, trying to keep the conversation as private as possible. He looked at her, showing the card in his hands. “Alexandra, what is this?” he asked, this time more pointedly, annoyed that she was taking her time with her response.

 “It’s a business card.” she explained minimally. “From the National Portrait Gallery.”

 “Why do you have a business card from the NPG?” he asked confused, reading it over and over again in hopes of understanding the little card better. “And who is Daniel Braddock?”

 Alexandra looked at him shyly, cursing herself in her mind that she didn’t tell him earlier. “I… sort of got offered a job there.” Tom looked at her completely stunned, not expecting those words to come out of her mouth.

 “What?” he asked, shocked by the new information. “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 “I’m sorry.” she apologized quickly, looking behind her at the three women, who were glancing over at them questioningly. Tom grabbed Alexandra’s arm and pulled her to the hallway, giving them more privacy, as the rest of the group got a bit too nosy about the quickly heating conversation.

 Tom leaned against the wall, staring at the card in his hands as he fell into thought. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you the day I visited there, but with the big fight that evening and everything that’s been going on… I-I…” she tried to explain.

 “What did you say?” he asked swiftly.

 “I didn’t say anything. He just gave me his card and left without my answer.” she explained quietly, pointing at the name on the card,  watching closely at Tom’s every movement and facial expression, wondering what he was thinking.

 “What would you have said at that exact moment?” he asked slightly troubled and nervous. Alexandra looked at him with a deep stare, not giving him a straight answer. “You would have said no, wouldn't've you?” he exhaled, leaning his back against the wall as his head dropped down in disappointment.

 “It doesn’t matter what I _would’ve_ said.” she said pleadingly.

 “You two alright?” Sarah asked, walking in on the two. “You both sort of disappeared.”

 “Everything’s fine.” Tom told his sister, the hard line of his lips revealing the truth behind his words, as if his body tried to tell the truth. “Just having a private discussion, thank you.” Alexandra looked at Tom with sad eyes, seeing the disappointment seep through his speech onto his sister.

 “Someone’s grumpy.” Sarah sassed in jest. “Well, it’s getting late and we should be getting back home. I promised to take mum and Emma with me.”

 “Right, let me say bye to mum.” he agreed exasperated, softening up to his sister as he hugged her goodbye. “Excuse me.” he brushed Alexandra off, leaving her alone in the dark hallway, grasping at the card Tom gave back to her, until he returned with the group and escorted them out.

 Alexandra said her goodbyes to all three, thanking them for the lovely evening as she tried to act happy and positive. She returned to the kitchen as Tom spent a few minutes outside, helping his mother get inside the car and kiss her goodbye. This allowed Alexandra to think the situation over as she cleaned the kitchen, storing any leftovers into the fridge.

 

* * *

 

Tom tapped his fingers against the countertops, walking slowly to the other side of the kitchen island. Alexandra gave him a side glance, continuing her cleaning in silence.

 “You were right.” she mumbled, looking down at her hand as she cleaned the same spot over and over again, on the counter top. Her long hair swayed by the movement of her hand, like an ocean creating gentle waves. Her brow was furrowed, she was deep in thought, trying to think of a way to make her mistake better, trying to figure out a way to express her shame of not telling him the truth. “I would have told him no. I _tried_ to tell him no.”

 Tom placed his palms against the marble, far away from each other as he let his head drop in disappointment. He breathed heavily in and out, his chest and back expanding with each large intake of breath.

 Alexandra tried to see his face, but he kept it well hidden. “But… But if you still want me, still want me to stay… I can take the position. If you want me to.” she leaned across the countertop, gingerly inching her hands towards his. She touched them both with light caresses, thankful that he didn’t pull away from her. “I should have told you. I’m sorry.” Alexandra leaned her torso against the countertop, trying to see his face. “Can you forgive me?” she whispered.

 Tom finally looked up, grasping her hands tightly, rubbing his thumbs against her fingers. “You really want to stay? Not because I asked you to, but because you want to?”

 “Yes. I want to stay. I want a life with you.” she whispered, happy tears slowly running down her cheeks as the two leaned on their elbows on opposite sides of the counter, their faces only inches away from each other.

 “What about your job?” he inquired seriously.

 “Well, I’ll miss the girls… And my students.” she thought out loud before looking at him. “But it’s just a job.” she smiled sweetly. “And I’ve already gotten an offer here, now haven’t I?”

 Tom laughed breathlessly, overwhelmed and deeply moved that she was willing to make such a sacrifice for him. For their relationship. “And the house? Your family?”

 “I’ll rent the house out to someone, or sell it.” she smiled, inching her face closer to him. “As far as family goes,” she sighed, “I think uncle Jack and aunt Grace will manage. They have their own kids, who’ll take care of them. And besides… There’s always skype.”

 “You’ll really do all of that? For us?” he asked with his brow furrowed. His heart beating so fast and so loud, he thought she could almost hear it.

 “Yes. If you still want me, I will.” she cried tears, squeezing his hands tightly.

 Tom abruptly let go of her hands, grasping at her jaw to pull her closer to him, so he could kiss her. The counter proving to be too big for this activity, Alexandra climbed over it, kneeling on the cold surface as Tom held her neck and waist tightly. “Of course I want you-“ he said between hasty kisses, “my silly,” kiss, “silly, girl.” The two smiled and laughed against each other’s lips as they kissed, not wishing to end either lovely activity.

 “Come here.” Tom pulled Alexandra off the counter, stumbling to the ground as he grabbed her. Alexandra fell on top of him with a fit of giggles, laughing her heart out at the joyous decision they had just made.

 “So…” Alexandra pulled her head back after kissing him deeply, looking down at the happy man who she was currently laying on top of. “Am I officially your girlfriend now? Can we tell your mother?” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

 “My mother is going to go crazy.” he laughed, holding her close to his body, slowly trailing his hands up and down her back. “And yes… you will be mine, as I will be yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm thinking of ending part 2 here. What do you guys think?  
> Just wondering if I should start part 3 as 'the new beginning' -type of thing?


End file.
